Oddity
by sunrow
Summary: When a magic hoodie sends Marvel fangirl Beth to the MCU, not only are there big differences already, but she decides it's her job to stop the events of Ultron happening, among other things. Oh, and now she has a couple of super soldier soulmates. Steve/OC/Bucky
1. Into the MCU

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Avengers, but it's probably better that I don't. I'd introduce too many OCs and the plot would just be one fanfiction trope after another. So yeah, only Beth and any other OCs, no matter how minor, are mine.**

 _A/N: This is an OC-insert fic, as well as a Soulmate AU with lots of swearing, so if that's not your thing, this isn't the fic for you! Lots of fluff, not too much angst or whatever. If there's ever angst, it's just so there can be some ultra-fluffy resolution. No smut, but scenes of that nature will be present. Mostly Domestic Avengers, with some action but not a whole lot. I want this fic to be mostly light-hearted and fun._

 _Pre-Ultron AU (Basically, Bucky lives with the Avengers and has all his memories back), but spoilers for every movie up to Civil War. Faceclaim is Imogen Poots. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter One  
**

Into the MCU

* * *

Ah, the mall, my home away from home. When I wasn't in bed with a book or my laptop, I was out shopping with my best friend, Ali. I finished my hazelnut latte and threw the cup in the bin, before following my friend into a department store. We automatically wandered to the makeup section after grabbing a shopping basket each.

In the familiar area, I began searching the prices, looking for anything that'd been marked down. Nothing that was on sale caught my eye - it was all hot pink blush, and I was more an eye and lips kind of girl.

"Makeup wipes?" Ali held up a familiar packet for me to see, and I grinned, throwing a pack into the basket.

"I already have two unopened packets at home," I said. "But you never know when you'll need more. Especially when matte lipstick is involved."

Ali put two packets in her own basket. "Agreed."

After grabbing a few tubes of ultra-cheap lipstick, we headed from the makeup to the books (where I grabbed some thriller with a discount sticker), and eventually made our way to the clothes.

I bypassed the basic tank tops and jeans and random shirts with slogans, heading for the sale rack. Most of the stuff wasn't the best, and usually not in my size, but I could typically find a bargain or two. Ali was at one end and I was at the other, and I'd pawed passed only a few ugly items until I spotted _it_.

"Ali!" I cried, holding back an excited squeal. I grabbed the item off the rack and basically shoved it in her face. "Look at how fucking great this is! I need it!"

In my hands was a black hoodie with Captains America's shield made from red, blue, and silver studs on the front. It was the only one there and a size XXL, which I knew would swamp my petite frame, but I just had to have it anyway. It was cheap and it was _mine_.

My best friend raised an eyebrow, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "You don't even like hoodies. Actually, I'd say you hate them."

"Well, yeah, I do." I rolled my eyes. It was true - I only ever wore cute sweaters and coats, never hoodies. "But I love Captain America and it's on sale, so I'm getting it!"

I shoved the hoodie into the basket, moving some stuff around so the coat hanger could fit properly. Ali and I went back to searching through the sale rack, and while she found a cute lace top, nothing else caught my interest.

We were strolling passed the toy section when I spotted some figurines, and dragged Ali down the aisle. Next to the Star Wars display was an Avengers one, and I stared at the toys with longing.

"Did you marathon the Marvel movies again?" Ali asked, though the look on her face told me she already knew the answer.

"Only the good ones." I replied instantly. "In chronological order, of course."

"I honestly don't know why I'm shocked."

"You shouldn't be." I picked up a Captain America figurine, admiring how similar it looked to Chris Evans. Most toy companies were half-assed with how realistic they looked, but this one was surprisingly accurate. "Did you know I'm the same height as Steve before he got the serum?"

Ali groaned. "You've only told me a million damn times."

I gave her a shit-eating grin and put the toy back, letting her lead me away from the aisle.

Five minutes later, we'd left the store after buying our things and were heading to get more coffee. Even if Ali wasn't as much of a fangirl as I was, at least we shared the same enthusiasm for caffeine. She was actually the one who got me addicted.

* * *

We got lunch not long after our second coffees, and then decided to head home after a few more hours of wandering around. We hadn't had any more luck finding bargains, and Ali's boyfriend had called to say he'd made her dinner. The thought of those two always brought a smile to my face. Ali and Sam had been together since they were seniors, and were still just as madly in love as they'd ever been.

My own love life was pathetic, to say the least. Two boyfriends during high school, with each relationship lasting less than a year, and several one night stands in my late teens, but none since.

It really sucked for a hopeless romantic like myself. I knew I was pretty, and I presented myself nicely as well, but I was also clingy and weird as fuck, things that most guys weren't very fond of. Once they got to know me, they ran in the opposite direction. That or they tried to change me, which just pissed me off, and I ended up being the one who ran.

That's why I was such a huge fangirl. For most of my life, books and movies were all I had besides Ali and my small group of friends… Friends I had trouble staying in contact with since we graduated from high school five years ago. Oops. I had nobody to blame but myself, of course.

After driving myself home, I dragged myself up the stairs to my shitty apartment and fumbled with the old lock, needing to wiggle the key a little before it would open. Once inside, I quickly dumped my shopping bag in my room and headed straight for the shower, even though my stomach was loudly letting me know that I was hungry.

When my hair was washed and skin was clean, I headed back to my room and eyed the hoodie in the bag where I'd left it. I knew I was supposed to wash it before I wore it, but I just couldn't wait. Slowly smiling, I ripped the price tag off and slipped the hoodie over my head, then turned to the mirror.

Like I thought, the hoodie was huge. It was basically a dress, which meant there was no need for pants. Not that I'd wear it out of the house anyway, but I was pleased. It was soft and warm and absolutely perfect. Humming a happy tune, I quickly went back to my bathroom to blow-dry my hair and throw it up in a messy bun, then pulled on some thigh-high black socks and sat on my bed with my laptop.

Before I spent the next hour making dinner and eating, I had to check my email. I made sure to check it multiple times a day. Not because I was expecting any important emails, but because I needed to constantly delete all the spam that would overtake my inbox if I didn't. My junk folder could only filter so much.

I got in the habit of repetitively clicking the delete button, when I almost deleted something that actually _was_ kind of important. The email was from a job I'd applied for, and I opened it eagerly, feeling hopeful.

 _Dear Miss Bethany Clarke,  
_ _Thank you for your application.  
_ _Unfortunately, although your qualifications and experience were of interest, you have not been successful on this occasion.  
_ _Thank you again for your interest and we wish you every success in the future._

I reread the short email a few times, the hope I'd felt a moment ago turning into annoyance. This wasn't the only rejection I'd gotten this week.

"Son of a bitch," I muttered. A little pissed off, I deleted the email and exited the browser, pouting at my laptop.

I loved shopping and, because of that love, I'd decided that I wanted to work in retail. I'd done a retail course at university while working part-time at Target, and had kept working there even after I graduated. But just over a month ago I lost the job due to downsizing, and now I was having trouble finding full-time work. Which was a bitch, because like the email said, I was qualified and had years of experience to go with it.

Living off my savings was okay for now, but the money wouldn't last forever. I was trying to be good with my spending, going shopping less and looking for sales when I did, but eventually I'd need to stop altogether.

It probably sounded stupid, but the thought of not being able to shop made me shudder. It kept me sane and kept me active - I could walk around the mall for hours. The feeling of buying something was so satisfying as well. It almost gave me a high. A little thrill in my otherwise mundane life.

Okay, I needed to stop thinking about that before I made myself upset. With a resigned sigh, I flopped myself backward, expecting to land into the fluffy pillows behind me. Instead, I fell. My eyes squeezed shut and I screamed, waiting for an impact that never came.

My body rolled and twirled through the empty air, but within moments, I barely felt like I was falling anymore, though I hadn't hit the ground. I opened my eyes and immediately regretted it as I found myself in a glowing white expanse that hurt to look at. I threw a hand over my face and realized that I'd definitely stopped falling. I was floating.

And then there was a pressure all over my body that was simply uncomfortable at first, but slowly increased until it was painful. It pressed upon me more and more, until it was unbearable and another scream tore from my throat.

My world became one of screaming and pain and that horrible whiteness that wouldn't go away.

Until it did.

I fell once more, painfully landing face-down on solid ground almost instantly. My eyes flew open and I barely had time to register that I'd landed on polished wooden floorboards when I began dry-retching. There was nothing in my stomach, the last thing I'd consumed being a small fruit salad hours ago, and for that I was thankful.

When the nausea passed, I laid my head back down, glad to be back on solid ground. I could hear myself panting heavily as adrenalin left my body, but that wasn't all. A chair scraped, and the sound of heels rapidly clicked along the floor like the person was in a rush.

"Tony, what the hell did you do?" A woman asked, her voice oddly familiar though I couldn't be bothered figuring out who it was. Shock, and what sounded like fear, laced her tone.

"I didn't do anything!" Replied a man, the voice again familiar. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping they'd shut up because a headache was starting to pound in my skull. "Jarvis, what's going on?"

Wait, Jarvis? As in, Tony Stark's AI? _That_ Jarvis? Okay, I really needed to get up. With a groan I rolled onto my back, wincing as pain radiated throughout my body. I opened my eyes to see slate grey walls and a modern beamed ceiling... and glass. Lots of glass. Like, a fuckload. It looked like some fancy office building.

"It appears a portal opened up," a disjointed British voice stated, seemingly coming from everywhere all at once. Now that I had some context, I recognized it as Jarvis. "It was open long enough to let the woman through before it closed. I am unsure of the how or why, but I have detected traces of an energy I cannot identify lingering around the woman. Would you like me to run a scan to locate the source of the energy, sir?"

"Please do." A pause. "And notify the others of what's happened while you're at it."

"Of course, sir."

A face popped into my view, leaning over my body to get a good look at me. I knew the face instantly. It was Robert Downey Jr... or was it Tony Stark? I mean, if he was talking to Jarvis, it had to be Tony. Oh, my God. Wait a minute. Tony motherfucking Stark was staring down at me! My eyes widened on their own accord and I opened my mouth the say something - anything - but I couldn't find the words. Just my luck to be tongue-tied at that moment.

"Okay, hi, you're still alive." Tony said, eyes roaming down my body and grinning at what he saw. Not in a lustful way, but like he found something amusing. "Is that the Capsicle's shield on your dress?"

Dress? I frowned, before realizing that Tony thought my hoodie was actually a dress. I rolled my eyes and tried to sit up, before my body gave out and I fell back down. What the hell? My mind was alert, but my body was physically exhausted and not willing to cooperate. All of my limbs were heavy and a dull ache ran through my bones. Fantastic.

"Oh, fucking hell." I glared up at Tony. It seemed I found my voice after all. "Well, what're you waiting for? Help me up!"


	2. Soulmates

_A/N: I'm planning on updating once a week, but there's been so much response to this story already and I had to give you all an update. This site won't let me view the four reviews I've already received, but I read them via the email alerts and thank you all so much! And also a big thank you to everyone who followed and favorited!_

 _You meet the rest of the Avengers in this chapter (minus one) and I've been trying so hard to keep them in character. If you have any advice, I'm all ears! The only two who may seem especially OOC are Steve and Bucky, but there's a reason for that, and it will be explained later._

 _Lastly, I desperately need some nicknames Tony can call Beth! I'm having a hard time coming up with anything other than 'Blondie', and really want some Australia-related ones (you'll understand why in this chapter). Help? And if you have any names he could call the other characters too (especially Steve and Bucky), that'd be great! I really suck at nicknames._

 _Anyway, on with the story! I hope you like this chapter :)_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Soulmates

* * *

Tony just stared at me with amusement, not making a move to help me up. I refrained from giving an exasperated sigh and settled for rolling my eyes instead.

"I don't know if you think I'm a threat or whatever," I bit out, trying to stay calm. My body being this weak and useless was beginning to freak me out. "But honestly, I can barely move a muscle right now, and I would rather not spend any more time on the ground… And Pepper doesn't look like she could be of much help to me."

I glanced at the red-haired woman who stood several feet away, unsure and keeping her distance. She didn't look offended by my statement, but I shot her an apologetic smile anyway. She wasn't my favorite character but that didn't mean I didn't like her.

"Did you just insult my girlfriend?" Tony asked, eyebrows raised though I knew he wasn't angry or anything. Neither of them seemed shocked that I knew her name, but it wasn't like she wasn't well known in the Marvel world.

"No, but I'll insult _you_ in a minute if you don't help me up."

"Well, if you were actually nice, I might've helped you up already."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot I was talking to Tony Stark." I grumbled, feeling more agitated by the second. "The nicest and most selfless man in the world, who deserves the utmost respect. My bad."

"Oh, I like her," came yet another familiar voice, as two silent figures entered my field of vision and obviously Stark's, because his head snapped up to glare at them.

"Can you two _not_ sneak up on us?" He snapped. "It's like you both just want to show off."

The new arrivals were Clint and Natasha, the former of which just shrugged and leaned against the railing next to some stairs, while the latter stared at me with the world's greatest poker face. I knew she was assessing me, and I really hoped she would come to the conclusion that I was harmless, because I didn't want to be locked up somewhere for God knows how long.

"Sir," began Jarvis, "Mr Banner has declined to make an appearance, Mr Odinson will be here shortly, followed by Mr Rogers and Mr Barnes, who were just sparring in the gym and said they'd like to get cleaned up first."

"Okay, tell them to hurry it up. Did you locate the energy source?"

"Not yet, sir, but I believe I'll have the answer in just a few minutes."

Tony nodded absently, and I only then noticed something strange on the inside of his right wrist. It was a solid circle, the color of which was a shade of blue almost exactly like a non-glowing version of the arc reactor in his chest.

He smirked when he realized what I was staring at. "Yeah, I'm taken. Sorry sweetheart."

"What…?" I trailed off, thoroughly confused. I knew he was taken. Even if I hadn't have already known all about Tony because of the movies, he'd also mentioned Pepper was his girlfriend a minute ago. What the weird tattoo had to do with that was beyond me.

Walking back over to Pepper, Tony picked her arm up and showed me her wrist.

"Tony!" Pepper shot him a glare and yanked her arm back, but not before I saw the exact same circle on her wrist.

"See? Taken."

"I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, but okay."

Pepper was looking at me strangely, and was about to say something when she was interrupted, much like Tony had been by Clint.

"Is this the girl? She doesn't look like a threat." A deep voice stated, and within the next second, a blonde man with a handsome face was in my view. Thor's large form was bent over at the waist, observing me with interest much like Tony had. But, more importantly, with a friendly smile. "Who are you, strange mortal? And where are you from? I have not heard an accent like yours on Midgard before."

"Well, that's probably because you've never met an Australian before." I said, smiling happily up at the man, glad someone was being nice. I lifted a hand towards him despite my muscles screaming in protest. "Anyway, I'm Beth. Could you please help me up? I feel like I've been hit by a truck and nobody else seems like they want to help."

"Of course, Lady Beth." Thor grinned, then grabbed hold of my outstretched hand and pulled me so I was standing. But when he let go, my legs turned to jelly and I started to collapse with a yelp of surprise. Thor managed to catch me, and turned to stare at Tony in question.

"Just stick her on the couch," he muttered, pointing to one of the sleek leather lounges that sat in a loose square-formation around a couple of glass coffee tables.

The Asgardian nodded, then picked me up like a ragdoll and quickly plopped me down on the couch in a sitting position. I was grateful he did, because suddenly being able to see straight already had my headache receding into a dull ache that I could easily ignore.

"Thanks, and please just call me Beth." I said, sinking comfortably into the buttery leather. I let out a hum of appreciation. "This is much better than the floor."

I decided to take a few moments to look around. Close to wear I sat were sculptures in glass cases, and there some lamps scattered on side tables between the lounges. To my left was what looked like a lab behind a glass wall, straight ahead was a bar and elevator, and to my right were floor-to-ceiling windows that showed the most gorgeous city view.

But what really made this room stand out were the random stairs that lead to and from platforms of different heights. It was all open, so anybody on the higher platforms would be able to have a good view of whoever was in the living area below. Right now, that would be me.

Thor nodded, his smile still in place. "You're welcome, Beth." He turned to Tony, and I noticed that Pepper had left the room. "Tell us what happened."

I perked up, interested in what Tony had to say. I knew what had happened to me, obviously, but I had no idea how it looked to anyone else.

"There was a flash of light in the middle of the air, and she fell from it." He pointed to where I'd been laying just a minute ago. "Right on her face."

The assassin and archer listened quietly to what Tony said, as did Thor, who turned back to me. "Now, you tell us what happened. How did you get here?"

Opening my mouth to reply, I quickly shut it when I realized that not everyone was here, and I didn't want to repeat my story more than I had to. "I can wait for Bruce to find out later if he's not coming, but shouldn't we wait for Steve and Bucky?" I glanced down and looked at the metallic shield on my hoodie, and was hit by the sudden realization that I wasn't wearing a bra.

Yep, just socks, underpants, and my hoodie. And I was meeting the Avengers. Horrifying, really.

"Why do you talk about us like you know us?" Clint questioned. He sounded more curious than concerned, but Natasha was still silent beside him and that unnerved me.

"I guess I can tell you that too." I muttered. I wasn't entirely sure if I should tell them, but I'd already slipped up and they were bound to find out eventually. "But only when the others get here."

"We're here now." A voice announced. "Who are you?"

"Beth, also known as the 0-8-4 that just appeared in this room." I turned my head to the left to see two tall and incredibly well built men make their way over from some stairs: one blonde, one brunette, and both with striking blue eyes.

And when those two sets of gorgeous blue eyes met mine, something in me seemed to click into place, like I was a puzzle that had just been completed for the first time. And then there was a burning sensation on my right wrist, making my eyes snap away from their gorgeous faces.

"Ow, what the fuck!" I cried, clasping a hand over my burning wrist as if it would make the pain go away. I looked up to see everyone staring at me in shock, except for the two super soldiers, who were also looking down at their own wrists with an emotion I couldn't quite identify.

The burning started fading away, and examining my wrist, I almost choked at what I saw. There, like the circle on Tony's and Pepper's wrists, was a solid star that was white rather than sky blue.

Steve and Bucky held their wrists out, staring at the same white mark, then at each other, and then at me. Everyone else was still as a statue, unsure of themselves.

"Okay, can somebody tell me what the hell just happened?" I demanded, my voice wavering slightly. I'd just been painfully sucked into what could only be the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and now a white star tattoo had burned itself onto my wrist because I made eye contact with two men who were _definitely_ more attractive in person.

What. The. Fuck.

Hearing my distress, Steve and Bucky came rushing over, sitting on either side of me on the lounge. Steve brushed some of my messy blonde bangs away from my face, while Bucky held my right hand in his human one, observing the new mark and comparing it to his own. Their behavior was confusing, to say the least.

Why was Steve being so affectionate with a woman he'd never met before? And Bucky as well, for that matter.

"It's okay, Beth, we're here. You're safe." Steve reassured me, and while I did strangely feel safe and comfortable near him, I was still confused and starting to get freaked out again.

I shook my head softly and bit my lip. "You don't understand. I have no idea what's going on and I _need_ someone to explain it all before I go insane."

"She's right," Natasha said, speaking for the first time. "She had no idea what Tony and Pepper's marks meant. I'd say that wherever she came from is somewhere soulmates don't exist."

" _Soulmates_?" I shrieked. My head snapped between Steve and Bucky too fast, my neck muscles protesting the movement.

Bucky gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, soulmates. Never thought I'd get one, to be honest."

"But you did." Steve stared intensely over my head at his best friend, before smiling down at me. His smile widened when he saw his shield on my hoodie. "It was definitely meant to be."

Following his gaze, Bucky smirked. "Definitely."

Okay. Wow. This couldn't be happening. Could it? I mean, everything was far too good to be true. And then it hit me - it really _was_ too good, and I must've been dreaming. This whole time I thought it was real, when it was just my subconscious concocting an ideal situation to cheer me up from my real life woes.

I started laughing, the movement hurting my sore ribs but I didn't care. "This all makes so much sense now." I breathed out through the giggles, and looked over at Steve with a grin when he playfully tugged on a lock of my hair.

"What makes sense?" He asked, eyes alight with amusement at my sudden outburst.

My giggles faded, but I kept a smile on my face. "That this is all a dream, of course. A damn good dream."

He and Bucky shared yet another glance over my head, before turning back to me. Both of them had their eyebrows drawn together and lips pursed, staring down at me with concern.

"Beth, this isn't a dream."


	3. Too Much Glass

_A/N: Aww it's Oddity's one week anniversary! ;)_

 _Even though I planned on updating once a week, I've written a couple of chapters ahead and thought I'd post this one as a thank you to everyone that's reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. Also because I'm impatient as fuck. But seriously, it means so much to me that this fic has gotten such good feedback in such a short amount of time._

 _It's a short chapter, but I promise that the next is much longer._ _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Too Much Glass

* * *

Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy - and maybe I was - except for Steve and Bucky, both simply looking concerned. Despite the comfort I got from their nearness, I wished I could get up and move away so I could think through all this with a clear head.

Instead I just let out a huff, and managed to cross my arms over my chest. Hey, progress!

"Okay," I began, looking each and every person in the eye one by one. "When I explain how I got here from my perspective, maybe then you'll understand why I think I'm dreaming."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Well, go on then."

I took a deep breath, quickly deciding to summarize my day up until I got here. "Well, I was shopping with Ali - that's my best friend - and I got _this_ wonderful hoodie." I shot a small smile at Steve. "Then I went home, had a shower, checked my emails, found yet _another_ rejection letter waiting, and then I flopped back on my bed."

"What were you rejected from?" Thor asked, his brows furrowed.

"A new job. I lost my old one recently and every new place I apply to sends me rejection emails. Now shush, because the story's about to get interesting!" When there were no further interruptions, I continued, "So when I flopped back, I never actually landed on my bed. Instead I began falling in this obnoxiously white abyss of glowing horror, felt like my body was being squeezed through a hole the size of a pinprick, and then landed in here on my fucking face. Any questions?"

"Well, that explains why you almost vomited on my floor," Tony grinned, leaning against one of the many railings like Clint. "Which was recently polished, might I add."

I rolled my eyes at the man, while the two super soldiers flanking me leaned in closer, like they were trying to use their bodies to shield me from Stark's winning personality.

"That doesn't exactly explain why you think you're dreaming." Clint piped up, throwing an arm around Natasha. I took note of the move, filing it away to think about later.

"I agree. Were you tired at all when you fell back on your bed?" Natasha asked, cocking her head to the side as she observed me. I shook my head: I hadn't really felt tired at all, just hungry. "Okay, so where are you from? And don't just say Australia. It's obvious that you're surprised to see us, but you also act and talk like you know us personally. I want to know why."

Clint nodded. "And then there's the whole not knowing about soulmates thing."

"Oh, my God, none of you are gonna believe me." I muttered, letting out a sigh and just wanting to get it over with. "Where I'm from, all of you are characters in a series of movies in what they call the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU for short. These movies are based, quite loosely, on your characters from Marvel comics."

Words kept pouring out of my mouth before anyone could interrupt. "But the soulmate thing isn't in the damn movies! So that and the fact that in my world none of you are real can only mean that I'm dreaming! Or I'm going crazy. But I'd prefer dreaming."

My words were met with silence, nobody knowing what to say. I guess it's not every day some random girl appears in your living room, claims two of you as her soulmates, denies knowing soulmates exist, and then says you're all from movies. But, hey, these guys are used to weird. Honestly, I think aliens pouring out of a hole in the sky is stranger than little ol' me.

"You know what you're saying is batshit crazy, right?" Tony said.

"I know it is!" If my body would let me, I'd go over and hit Tony. Of course it was batshit crazy! Nothing about this made sense. "I have no way to prove it, but what I'm saying is true. To me, all of you are characters in the MCU movies."

A grin slowly spread across Clint's face. "I think I already know who your favorite character is." He pointed to my hoodie and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Steve's just _one_ of my favorite characters." I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway, gladly accepting the change in topic. "The list also includes Bucky, Darcy, Wanda, Pietro, and Scott. I like Deadpool too, but even though he's a Marvel character, his movie isn't considered part of the MCU. Something about production company rights or whatever."

Bucky's grin when I mentioned him was cocky and proud, but there was a fondness in his eyes when he stared down at me. It was dazzling, to say the least, and I could feel myself getting flustered. I had to look away.

"I can see why you might favor Darcy, but why not Jane as well?" Thor asked. I simply shrugged, not wanting to say anything to insult his human lover. He raised an eyebrow, but didn't push the matter further.

"Deadpool?" Tony asked, pulling a face when he said the name.

"Uh-huh." I smirked. "Sarcastic son of a bitch. He was a mercenary that became a mutant thanks to some experiments… Wait, I think the MCU would call him enhanced or inhuman or something. Now he looks like Freddy Krueger's almost attractive son that has supernatural healing powers. Like, he can grow back a lost limb."

Natasha - wait for it - was still observing me closely. "Okay, but what about the other three. Wanda, Pietro, and Scott?"

I wondered if she was asking because she was curious, or because she didn't like not knowing something. Probably both, to be honest.

"Wait, what year is it?" I asked suddenly, glancing at my surrounds and company.

Clint raised an eyebrow. "2015."

That's the year Ultron took place. But was it before or after the movie? "Okay, I can work with that. I mean, Bucky's here, which means it's definitely after Winter Soldier… but Steve never found him until Civil War… But, no, Civil War can't have happened yet because that's supposed to be in 2016 and Bucky has his metal arm and…"

I trailed off when everyone looked at me like I was insane again.

"There's a movie about me?" Bucky asked, for some reason frowning at the thought.

"Yep, though technically it's a Captain America movie. The second one, to be exact. It's set when you were trying to kill everyone in DC and Hydra was found to be hiding in SHIELD the whole time. Great movie." At the raised eyebrows, I backtracked. "Or maybe not so great, seeing as it actually happened in this dream… universe… whatever."

There were a few rolled eyes, when Jarvis spoke. "Sir, I have located the source of the energy. It appears to be coming from the woman's sweatshirt. I would suggest running some tests as soon as possible. Mr Banner is ready for you to join him."

"Okay, thanks J. Tell Pepper to give the girl some clothes while we're in the lab." Tony clapped his hands together before pointing at me. "You. Can you move yet? Or is your body still useless?"

Mentally bracing myself for the pain, I managed to lift my torso up and leaned forward. "Almost useless, but better than before." My back and stomach muscles radiated pain from moving them, but I was beginning to feel a little more in control than before.

"Okay, lover boys can fight over who'll help carry you." Tony glanced between them. "She can have the last room in your apartment, Cap, but for now I need her in the med bay to get some blood samples."

"Shouldn't she just stay in one of their rooms?" Clint asked with a lazy grin.

As good as sharing a room with either Steve or Bucky (or both) sounded, it also freaked me out a little bit. Everything was still overwhelming me and I would definitely need my own space to hide when I needed a time out.

"I'm fine with my own room, thanks."

"Good, okay, everyone do what you were doing before this," Tony began, he himself heading off to his lab. "And we'll meet back here at seven for family dinner so our new addition can tell us everything she knows from these _movies_."

"The Avengers do family dinner?" I questioned, glancing around the room for an answer.

"It was Tony's idea." Natasha said, her lips quirked up in the ghost of a smile. "And he insists on it more than once a week. As long as nobody's off on a mission, we're having family dinner."

"Huh, cute."

"Very cute." Clint wiggled his eyebrows as he and Natasha walked off after Thor, leaving me with the super soldiers.

"Come on," Steve said, quickly standing and holding out a hand to help me up. Oh, my God, those muscles could not be real. They were beautiful. I took his hand gratefully, and noticed Bucky smirking when he caught me admiring Steve's holy arms.

I widened my eyes, trying to feign innocence. "What? Can't I admire what Dr Erskine gave him?"

The former assassin's smirk widened and I laughed when Steve looked away bashfully. I didn't think he'd still get shy around women after all these years in the modern world, but I guess the fact I was his soulmate might have changed that. Okay, soulmate, wow. That was weird to think about.

Even though Bucky was on my right, he still wound his metal arm around my waist when it seemed my legs were as wobbly as ever. Steve had is arm around my shoulders, and between the two of them I was better able to stumble towards the stairs they'd been coming up when they arrived.

"You know, this would be easier if one of us just carried you." Bucky pointed out, his arm around my waist tightening when my legs almost gave out from under me at the first step. The plates of his metal arm whirred under the sleeve of his dark Henley, and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to just stop right there and examine the piece of machinery.

Instead, I just shook my head and kept walking. "Nope. Everything hurts and all but I can't stand feeling useless. It freaks me out."

"If you say so…" He didn't look convinced, but didn't push it. Smart.

Once we were down a handful of stairs, we headed right back up some and appeared in front of a glass door. It opened up to the lab, and from there I could see what must've been the med bay on the other side of the room. It, too, was separated by a glass wall and door.

"This place has too much fucking glass." I muttered, fighting the urge to roll my eyes when Steve glanced down at me with faint amusement at my colourful language. I smiled sweetly up at him instead.

"Okay, blondie," Tony started, flicking some holograms around. I could see Bruce towards the back of the room, eying me warily. "Dr Cho's waiting for you in the bay and Pepper will be here any time now with some clothes. We need to study that hoodie ASAP."

"Yay," I deadpanned, letting Steve and Bucky carry me through the room to where the med bay entrance was. I didn't want to give up this hoodie to a mad genius when I'd only just gotten it, and I hated needles as well...

This was going to be so much fun!


	4. I Swear to God

_A/N: Here is the longest chapter yet, a day early, to make up for how short that last one was. I'm aiming for about 2000-3000 words a chapter, and have been doing well with that so far. And trust me when I say, there are plenty more chapters to come._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

I Swear to God

* * *

There was a pretty Korean woman waiting in the med bay, and I instantly recognized her from the Ultron movie. She was wearing some blue and white scrubs that definitely looked too sci-fi for real life.

"Hi, I'm Dr Helen Cho." She gave me a polite smile, then glanced at the super soldiers. "If you two could please place Beth on the examination table."

They complied, and soon I was sitting on the cold leather table with my legs dangling over the edge. With nothing to support my back, the pain in my torso suddenly sharpened, and I let out an involuntary whimper.

"I'm fine!" I told the boys before they could hover over me.

Still, Steve raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "That didn't sound like you were fine."

"Okay, so I'm still in a little pain…" I said, causing Bucky to roll his eyes. Though I also noticed him shift closer to me. "But seriously! It's much better than when I arrived!"

"Jarvis explained to me what happened, so I'm not going to ask either of you to leave." Dr Cho told the soldiers, coming over with a few pieces of equipment. "But I am going to ask you to give us some space."

"Yes, ma'am." They replied at the same time, and instantly moved to sit at a nearby examination table.

There was another one, further from us, that had a strange contraption arching over it. "Is that the Cradle?"

"It is," Dr Cho replied happily, a hint of pride in her voice. Her smile was warmer than before. "Okay, eyes and ears first."

With a nod, I sat still while she checked me over. After my eyes and ears came my heartbeat, and then blood pressure.

"Everything seems normal so far." Dr Cho said when she was finished with those basic tests. "Tell me, how do you feel? You mentioned pain before."

I pursed my lips and figured telling her straight would be best, even if it meant Steve and Bucky would know how much pain I was really in.

"Honestly, I feel like shit." I gave them all a small smile, hoping to show that I didn't want anyone to get worked up over the confession. "My body aches like I'm just one big bruise, and I have a mild headache on top of that. Moving hurts and at first I couldn't; it was like my muscles just wouldn't cooperate. I couldn't even sit or stand on my own. But I'm definitely regaining control over my body, which is nice."

Dr Cho nodded. "I can only conclude that the pain is due to travelling through the portal. Because it's fading, and quite rapidly from what I gather, you should be better in no time."

I let out a relieved sigh, figuring I also got to leave in a second. The doctor had turned away and I was getting ready to hop off the table, when she turned back with a syringe.

"I still have to take a blood sample." The apology could be heard in her tone. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Um, like four or five hours ago." I groaned, knowing what this meant. I pushed the sleeves of my hoodie up over my elbows, laid back on the table, and waited.

The first time I ever had a blood test, I'd been feeling ill and not eaten lunch beforehand. The nurse couldn't find a vein the first three times. And then she'd told me that if I'd have been sitting up, I would've probably passed out.

Needles were a bitch.

While Dr Cho looked for a vein, I glanced over at Steve and Bucky, who were watching us quietly.

"Who wants to hold my hand?" I grinned, hoping there'd be some sort of fight or argument. Instead, the two men just met each other's eyes in a silent conversation, before Steve got up from his spot and came over.

Dr Cho had chosen a vein in my left arm, so Steve grabbed hold of my right hand. "Not a fan of needles?"

"What gave it away?" I grimaced when a cold alcohol swab was swiped over the crease of my elbow. I looked over at Bucky. "Help distract me?"

He grinned, coming to stand beside Steve. "Anything for you." His flesh hand started drawing patterns on my wrist, and I smiled contently. This was nice. Really, I could get used to the attention.

"Ow, _fuck_!" A sharp sting in my left elbow totally broke the moment of bliss I'd fallen into. I sent a glare to Dr Cho, before turning it on Bucky. "You suck at distracting people."

He leaned in dangerously close, the grin on his face somehow widening. "Guess I'll just have to try harder next time."

When he moved away, I let out a breath I'd apparently been holding. Okay, wow, that was a little more intense than it should've been. I looked to see Steve looking like he was holding back laughter, and pursed my lips. The needle was pulled out of my arm, so I removed my hand from Steve's.

"Assholes." I muttered, hopefully too low for them to hear. Though, right now, I wouldn't care if they did.

Dr Cho pressed a cotton pad to the small spot of blood left by the needle, holding it down with some tape.

"Almost done." She'd already placed the vial of blood somewhere, and was now holding two little pills and a glass of water. Where the fuck did she get the water from? "Just take these for the pain. They should be enough, but if the pain comes back, you know where to find me."

"Thank you." I smiled gratefully, quickly taking the pills. It wasn't until I drank the water, though, did I realize just how thirsty I was.

The door to the med bay opened and Pepper walked in, a small bundle of clothes in her arms. "I hope these fit. Tony wants to get a look at that sweatshirt as soon as possible, so I didn't have much time to find much else."

I took the clothes from her and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, it's better than nothing. And honestly, I'm glad I'm even being treated so well."

"Why do you think you wouldn't?" Pepper frowned, taking a step back to give me space.

"Well, I know you're all the good guys," I shrugged. "But considering the circumstances of my arrival, I'm surprised I wasn't shoved straight into an interrogation room."

Pepper's smile was bright and reassuring. "There are many confusing things surrounding your current circumstance," she shot a look to the super soldiers. "But you've given us no reason to believe you're a threat. Now go get changed. There's a bathroom through the door just over there."

Returning the smile, I thanked her and actually managed to find the strength to hop down from the examination table, slowly but surely making my way to the bathroom she pointed out.

And thank fuck for that, because Steve and Bucky looked ready to coddle me again if I so much as stumbled a little.

They meant well, I knew that, but it was so much all at once. Not to say I didn't like it… it was just so overwhelming. I went from having not even one basic guy stay interested in me for more than five minutes, to having _two_ fucking super soldiers not wanting me to leave their sides.

What the fuck is my life right now?

Okay, breathe. I let out a long sigh, before removing the hoodie and putting on the clothes Pepper gave me.

The navy blue lounge shorts were a little loose, but had a drawstring so I needn't worry about them falling down. The matching long-sleeved top was a bit thin, though, and left me feeling exposed without a bra.

There was a black tank top as well, which I wore under the long-sleeved top, but it didn't stop the sudden anxiety I got. I was fine going braless, but only when I was wearing the right clothes.

These were definitely not the right clothes.

Okay, fuck it, I just needed to get out there and try not to draw attention to my chest. With my wonderful hoodie over my arm, I came out to see that Pepper was gone and the soldiers were waiting for me.

I thrust my arms out, holding the hoodie up like an offering. "Someone just hurry and give it to Stark before I change my mind."

* * *

The elevators at Stark tower were weird as fuck. Instead of buttons, there was just a little touchscreen that looked like Tony had stuck an iPad in the wall. And instead of floors and names displayed on the screen, there were symbols that looked identical.

"Am I supposed to remember what you just pressed?" I frowned at Steve. "Because if I'm heading to the apartment on my own, I'm gonna have some trouble."

Bucky smirked down at me. "Guess you'll just have to stick with us, doll."

"You wish."

Oh, God, he called me doll. I wanted to fucking melt into a puddle on the floor. Not that I would ever let him know. Steve looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes at Bucky.

"If you need help, Jarvis can take you anywhere in the tower." He explained, his smile so warm it almost hurt.

That, too, made my heart skip a beat. Damn beautiful fucking super soldiers that looked too damn gorgeous for their own damn good. Fuck.

"That's right, Miss," Jarvis began, his voice still eerily seeming to come from all around me. "Just ask me where to go, and as long as you have the clearance, I'll take you there."

The elevator stopped with a _ding_ , opening up to what was probably the biggest ass apartment I'd ever seen. I looked around in awe at the huge space. I mean, seriously, this apartment must've taken up the whole damn floor.

It was mostly open plan, which was nice. There was a large kitchen to the left, a breakfast bar separating it from the dining room, which boasted a long dining table that seemed extreme for just two men… and now a petite woman. On the wall beside the dining table was a glass sliding door that lead to a balcony, and behind the table was an open door to a room that seemed to have a washing machine in it.

No communal laundry room with the rest of the Avengers? Score.

To my immediate right was a little den with two overstocked bookcases, a retro lounge, and a record player sitting on a little side table. There were dozens of records, old and new, stacked around it. Just passed the den was the living room, with a couple of armchairs and another lounge, facing towards the large TV mounted on the wall.

The apartment itself was clean but cluttered, showing that it wasn't just a place to sleep, but a place to _live_. And unlike the ugly slate gray of the rest of the tower, this place actually had color. From the cream walls to the dark wood tables to the faded red couches.

"It's perfect."

When Steve and Bucky beamed at me with pure happiness, I went weak at the knees. I mean that literally. When they saw me about to fall, they figured it was because of my muscles once again giving out and helped me back up.

"Do you want us to take you to the couch?" Bucky asked, his brows furrowed with concern.

I shook my head. "Um, actually, can you please take me to my room?"

"Sure thing, doll."

Fuck a duck. Good thing I was about to get some time alone, because these boys were going to be the death of me.

They started leading me further into the apartment, arms around my waist and shoulders like earlier, but I slowly started to pull myself out of their grip.

"I think I'm fine to walk on my own."

Steve looked like he didn't believe me. "You almost collapsed less than a minute ago."

"Yeah, that was then." I shrugged. "This is now. I'm fine."

To prove my point, I moved myself completely out of their hold and turned, grinning triumphantly.

"Okay, you win." Bucky laughed, starting to walk towards a hallway at the back of the large apartment. "For now."

"I'm good with 'for now'." I laughed back, following him down the hallway, Steve right behind me.

The first door we came to was open to show a clean bathroom that looked far too fancy to be real.

"That's the main bathroom that we save for guests." Steve explained. "You have a personal bathroom in your own room, as do Bucky and I."

Seeing my look of relief, thinking for a moment that I had to share with two boys, Bucky smirked. "That's right, darlin', none of us have to share."

"My room," Steve said. He inclined his head towards the only other door on the left.

Bucky pointed to the first one on the right. "And mine. You're welcome to come in any time you want."

"Nice try," I said, ignoring his wink.

There was only one door left, at the very end of the hallway. "So this is my new room, huh?"

"Sure is," Bucky opened the door for me, spreading his arm out. "Viola!"

I went inside, immediately inspecting the large room. It was definitely a plain guest bedroom, lacking an personal touches, but I couldn't deny how nice it was. And how very _Stark_. The whole wall opposite the door was one giant window, overlooking the city.

Privacy? What privacy? That glass better be goddamn tinted.

To the left was a huge bed with champagne-colored sheets, flanked by dark wooden bedside tables, which were bare but for a single digital alarm clock. To the right were two floor-to-ceiling mirrors set into the wall, and I assumed they hid a built-in closet behind them.

The door to what must've been my personal bathroom was between the main door and the bed. Everything else in the room was bare.

Hmm, that bed looked mighty inviting right now. I went over and hopped on it, flopping back and this time _not_ getting sucked through some random portal of pain.

Speaking of pain, my aches had finally gone away. The painkillers Dr Cho gave me must've kicked in.

"Thank you," I told the super soldiers, who'd both followed me into the room and were watching me with amusement. "But can I please get some alone time? I'm still a little overwhelmed and need some space so I can think properly and process all of this."

"Not a problem," Bucky said, looking like he was holding himself back from another remark.

"We'll come get you when it's time for dinner." Steve added, he gave me another smile before turning to leave. "Come on, Buck."

"Right behind ya, Stevie."

The brunette closed the behind him with a soft click, leaving me to my own thoughts. I let out a long sigh, not knowing where to start.

Well, first of all, I knew it was 2015. The MCU movies lined up with the release dates, so Ultron was in April or May, I couldn't remember what month exactly, and Ant-Man was sometime later in the year. So which movie had already happened?

"Jarvis, what's the date?"

"Today is Sunday the 19th of April, Miss." Jarvis replied, his pleasant voice filling my new room. I looked to the clock, seeing I had just under an hour until dinner.

"Thanks Jarvis," I replied, before realizing that he only called me 'miss' because he didn't know my full name. "For the record, my name is Bethany Clark."

"Thank you, Miss Clark."

Trying to gather my thoughts was proving difficult. The more I thought about this situation, the more I came back to the same conclusion that it was a dream. I mean, it was impossible!

Portals and other fantastical things existed in this universe, but not in mine. Magic and science fiction was simply that - fiction. We made it all up because our world was boring as shit.

But, say I did actually go through a portal from my world to another, then why was it the MCU? It would be easier to believe that happening if this was a universe that didn't already exist as a series of _movies_ in my own. And the whole soulmate thing was just so far-fetched and definitely something my stressed out brain would make up.

Groaning, I got up from the bed. I needed a distraction before all these thoughts drove me insane. If it was a dream, I was just going to have to enjoy it. No point in fighting, really.

Deciding to look around, I quickly made my way to the bathroom door and took a peak inside. Holy shit, it was so damn white. And that glass was back.

There was a free-standing bath, and a shower with glass walls, both larger than I was used to. The main bench was a light marble, and held a fancy sink with an expensive faucet. There was a glass toothbrush holder, and a glass soap dispenser.

I'd be pissed off if it wasn't so damn nice.

I backed out of the bathroom and turned to the large mirrors on the walls. Taking a chance, I pressed against the glass and let out an involuntary yelp of surprise when it slid to the side, revealing a closet.

 _Knew it_.

The closet was empty, unfortunately, but that just meant I had the opportunity to fill it sometime in the future.

Even in a dream, I couldn't wait to go shopping.

* * *

 _A/N: I usually reply to reviews with a private message, but if a guest asks a questions or anything, I'll put it at the end of the chapter like this!_

 _Rebel-love: Thank you for reviewing all the chapters! I'm glad you like Beth, but no, her name is actually short for Bethany :) Tony calling Bucky 'Terminator' is the greatest, and I'm definitely gonna use that, so thank you. Especially when he's in a bad mood haha I hope you enjoyed this update!_


	5. Family Dinner

_A/N: So I'm 99% certain that Jarvis calls everyone by their titles - like Dr Banner, Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, etc. But I'm a lazy bitch and for the sake of this story, everyone will be called Miss, Mrs, and Mr. Except for Tony, who's obviously called Sir._

 _This is now being cross-posted on AO3 under my username, vamp444. So if you see it there, don't worry, it's not stolen._

 _I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it!_

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

Family Dinner

* * *

Before dinner, Pepper had stopped by the apartment with a few more items of clothing for me. I'd told Jarvis of my no-bra problem, and while there were none in my size I could borrow, Pepper did have a cupless sports bra that was far more supportive than the tank top.

She'd also brought me a pair of sweatpants, lest I get cold during the night. It was mid-spring here, but she explained that the nights still got cold, and even though Jarvis could control the room temperature, it was simply easier to have the long pants on hand should I need them.

I'd thanked her endlessly when she left, before putting the sports bra on and sighing with relief. I settled onto my new bed, staring out the window-wall at the city.

I'd never been to the US before, let alone New York City, and I was wondering how my mind came up with so many vivid details. The most logical explanation was that I'd watched so many movies and shows set in NYC that I was able to recreate it in my dreams.

Five minutes before seven, Steve and Bucky came knocking on my bedroom door, ready to escort me to dinner with wide smiles on their ridiculously handsome faces.

Damn, I was so fucking hungry. I'd never gotten to make dinner before that portal had sucked me here, and that was over an hour ago. I crossed my fingers, silently praying that it wasn't a casserole of any kind. I hated casseroles.

The super soldiers lead me back to the living room I'd appeared in, when my stomach growled so loud I'm sure they could hear it on Asgard.

"Hungry?" Bucky asked, not even trying to hide his amusement.

"I have no idea why you'd make that assumption."

Steve snorted. "Well, the food should be here soon enough."

His choice of words, and the fact we were heading towards the lounges and not a normal dining table, lead me to believe we were eating takeout for dinner. I let out a silent sigh of relief.

"Good," I said, plopping myself down in the middle of the couch I'd been on earlier. The soldiers resumed their earlier position as well. "Because I'm hungry enough to eat more than you boys right now. Super soldier metabolisms be damned."

"I doubt that." Bucky laughed, casually swinging his metal arm around to rest it on the back of the lounge behind me.

"You three look adorable." Natasha walked towards us with a subtle sway of her hips, holding an open bottle of beer in one hand and two unopened bottles in the other. She gave the unopened ones to Steve and Bucky then turned to face me. "I'd offer you one, but you look underage."

"Fuck off, I'm 22." I glared at the woman. Steve tensed up beside me. Okay, I just told the Black Widow to fuck off. No big deal.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "If you say so."

Steve relaxed and I tried not to laugh. He went to take a swig of his beer but I swiped the bottle out of his hand before he could, gulping down a few mouthfuls.

I grinned at the pointed look he gave me. "I'm fuckin' Strayan mate, beer makes up half my diet. It's not like you can get drunk anyway." I took another long sip and gave him back to bottle.

"You don't want it?"

"American beer tastes like piss, apparently." According to my brain, at least.

Thor came and sat on another lounge, plopping his hammer on the ground beside his feet.

"I agree with you, Beth." He said, leaning back in the seat and stretching his long legs out. "I'd say you should try some Asgardian mead, but I'm afraid your small mortal body wouldn't be able to handle it."

"I'd be happy to prove you wrong one day."

Even if it got me hammered after one mouthful, I'd still try Asgardian mead. It sounded fantastic. Not to mention I could go out clubbing and not waste my money trying to get drunk off several cups of watered-down vodka, or whatever other cheap alcohol I felt like poisoning myself with.

Bucky barked out a laugh, slightly leaning his body closer to mine. "I'd like to see that."

"Yeah, I bet you'd just _love_ to get me drunk, wouldn't you Barnes?" I teased, turning to him with a shit-eating grin.

"Enough flirting!" Clint called from the doorway, carrying a stack of pizza boxes in his arms. "Dinner's here."

Tony and Pepper came in next, him with another stack of pizza boxes. The men placed them out on the two coffee tables one by one, Steve moving to help open the lids.

Once it was all set up, we dug straight in. I was so fucking glad we had pizza, because my subconscious has made me eat some weird shit in my dreams before. My hand instantly snagged up a piece with the best meat-to-veggie ratio.

Glancing around the room as I chewed, I noticed Bruce and Dr Cho missing. The former I could understand. I wasn't expecting him to make an appearance when I was still an unknown threat.

Swallowing my mouthful of food, I looked to Steve. "Where's Dr Cho? I thought she'd be here if it's family dinner and all."

"Helen is here most days, but doesn't actually live in the tower." Pepper explained from the lounge on the left. "She has a room here, but she only stays when there's a patient she needs to tend to overnight."

"That makes sense."

Dr Cho wasn't an Avenger, so of course she had her own life outside the tower. In fact, I'm pretty sure she went back to Korea not long after Ultron was created. I couldn't remember the exact details though.

Tony finished off the piece of pizza he was currently eating, washing it down with beer rather than going for another slice. He sat back contently next to Pepper.

"Okay, Blondie, tell us about these movies you say we're from."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted, smaller conversations dwindling as seven pairs of eyes stared at me with interest.

"Well, uh, the first movie to be released in the MCU was Iron Man," I started, causing an arrogant smirk to cross Tony's face. "But chronologically, the first Captain America movie comes before everything else. So I'll start there. Is that alright? It's easier for me because that's the order I always watch the movies in."

"Of course," Pepper smiled warmly. "It'll probably make more sense for us, as well."

"Okay, cool. We start with Captain America: The First Avenger, which is set in the early 40s…"

I told them the basic gist of the movie, quickly explaining how Schmit got the Tesseract before moving on to Pre-Serum Steve and Bucky, then Steve getting the serum, to the USO, to saving Bucky, forming the Howling Commandos, and more.

All of it got explained... kind of. I left out the more personal parts if they weren't that important. I felt like it wasn't my place to tell the other Avengers about Steve trying to get drunk when Bucky fell of the train, or about his brief relationship with Peggy.

Moving on to the first two Iron Man movies, I explained how they didn't have subtitles and instead used numbers. Again, I left out personal details about Tony and Pepper's lives. The Incredible Hulk came next, and I had to stop for a moment.

"What is it?" Steve asked, concern drawing his eyebrows together.

"Nothing serious," I laughed, easing the tension. "It just occurred to me that Bruce was played by a different actor in the movie. And, well, they look completely different."

"Different how?"

"Well, the first actor was much taller than the one who's in all the other movies, and he had a narrow face rather than a round one. They didn't even look like they could be related. Now, moving on."

After summarizing the events of the Hulk movie, and mentioning Tony's cameo, I moved on to Thor. I quickly remembered that Steve came out of the ice sometime between then and the events The Avengers, which I went over after that.

Iron Man 3 was explained, with Thor: The Dark World coming next. When I reached the end of the movie, I made a split-second decision to _not_ tell Thor that Loki wasn't dead and had been disguised as Odin. I'd left my own Universe before Thor: Ragnarok had come out, and wasn't sure how the events played out.

I enjoyed retelling the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, seeing as it was one of my favorite movies, and I made a super brief recount of what went down in Guardians of the Galaxy.

But when I was just about to start telling them about Avengers: Age of Ultron, I stopped myself.

"Jarvis told me that today is the 20th of April, 2015." I looked around the room slowly, hesitating. "Is that correct?"

"I assure you I told the truth, Miss Clarke." Jarvis said, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say his synthetic British voice sounded mildly offended.

"I know you wouldn't lie to me, I just need to make sure." I pursed my lips, wondering how to proceed. "You guys haven't been to Sokovia lately, have you?"

"No, we haven't." Steve replied on behalf of the Avengers.

What a relief. This was good, really good. "So you're still looking for the scepter then?"

"We are." Clint narrowed his eyes at me in a glare.

Natasha slapped his arm. "I take it you know this because of the next movie?"

"I do." Leaning forward, I nodded eagerly. "The next movie is an Avengers movie, and it came out around this time in 2015. The events of each movie generally coincide with the release date, but if it hasn't happened yet, then I can stop it happening."

"You want to stop it?" Tony questioned.

I nodded again. "Yeah, because you fucked everything up to the extreme."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" I tried not to laugh at how insulted Tony looked right then. "The events of the movie are catastrophic, leading to countless deaths and far too much collateral damage."

Tony's offense turned to shock. "Because of me?"

"Uh-huh. So you guys are gonna go to Sokovia, where you'll find the scepter. I don't know where exactly, but at least I've narrowed it down for you. And when you get the scepter, Thor," I turned my gaze onto the blonde god, "is going to take it straight to Asgard. No waiting. You hear me? Take it straight to Asgard with no detours."

Thor nodded solemnly. "You have my word, Beth."

"Good," I leaned back in my seat, pointing a scolding finger in Tony's direction. "And if you so much as get within three feet of that scepter before it's gone, Stark, I will personally burn this whole fucking tower down."

"Is that a threat?" Tony demanded, though there was a hint of resignation in his tone. I think he understood how serious I was, because he didn't put up much more of a fight.

"It could be. Now, Ant-Man is next. It's about that Scott guy I mentioned earlier. You know, one of my favorite characters."

When I finished telling them about that movie, I even mentioned Captain America: Civil War. I didn't explain it like I did with the other movies, though, instead telling them that there was no point.

"The events of Civil War happen because of two things. One, is because of you fucking up in the second Avengers movie." I inclined my head to Tony, before turning to face Bucky. "And the second thing is you."

"Me?" Bucky looked surprised.

"Yeah, you." I laughed, poking his side. "In Civil War, you're not with the Avengers like you are now. That's another reason I think I'm dreaming. Not just the fact that there are soulmates here, but the fact that you're here too. It wasn't in the movies."

"Is it better that I'm here now?" He asked, looking so sincere and adorable and I just wanted to hug him. I controlled myself.

"Yeah, it is. From the way I see it, everything that's changed is already much better than what was in the movies."

I let out a yawn then, growing aware of how tired I was. It _had_ been a long day.

Steve chuckled, shooting me a lopsided smile. "Let's get you to bed."

"Trying to get me into your bed already, Rogers?" I asked cheekily, hopping up from the lounge anyway. I extended my arms over my head slowly, stretching out my muscles that still had a slight dull ache to them. "That's fast, especially for you."

"You know, you're moving pretty well for a girl who needed help walking only a couple of hours ago."

"You're moving pretty well for a senior citizen." I shot back.

Clint groaned, burying his face in Natasha's shoulder. "Can't you save the foreplay for the bedroom?"

Instead of answering, I just stared at them. First Clint had thrown an arm around Nat's shoulders earlier, and now this. I knew from the movies they were best friends and quite close, but the Ultron movie had proven their relationship to be strictly platonic.

This didn't look platonic to me.

"Show me your marks." I said suddenly, hoping my hunch was correct. I strolled over and stood over them, waiting.

Natasha smirked, instantly knowing what I was thinking. She grabbed Clint's wrist, rolled his long sleeve up, and showed me a strange mark. It was a purple outline of a semicircle.

The same mark was on Natasha's wrist as well.

"Huh, that's interesting."

"Why would you think that?" Clint asked, his curiosity making him seem almost child-like.

I shot him a quick smile. "That's a conversation best saved for somewhere private, and right now I just wanna sleep."

Turning on my heel, I headed away from the group and towards the elevator. "You boys coming?"

"Do you need help cleaning up?" Steve asked, ever the helpful one.

Natasha waved him off. "It's just empty pizza boxes. If we need muscle, we've got Thor."

"Good enough for me," Bucky laughed, jumping up from the lounge and grabbing Steve by his arm. "Come on, Stevie, our girl's waitin'."

Aww, he called me his girl. I was about to melt into a puddle on the floor. I didn't want this dream to ever end.

* * *

 _A/N: I'm Aussie and I hate beer hahahaha I have failed my country!_

 _Speaking of being Aussie - I live on the Gold Coast where a lot of Ragnarok is being filmed. Last month I went to a friend's birthday that one of Chris Hemsworth's body doubles attended (before I knew what his job was, I actually told him, "I'm going to call you Thor.") And this guy I kinda know (AKA met once or twice) was Mark Ruffalo's uber driver one night._

 _I hope you like that I've made Natasha and Clint soulmates. While I like Laura Barton, I've found that I absolutely cannot ship Nat with anyone but Clint. Her paired with anyone else just doesn't feel right to me._


	6. Evasion

_A/N: The first half of this chapter was a bitch to write, but it's super important! Also, there's a review reply at the end. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

Evasion

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, my first thought was _Oh, shit._

Why? Because it suddenly occurred to me that there was a very real possibility I wasn't actually dreaming. And I needed to test that out straight away.

"Jarvis, can you tell me who the first five presidents of the United States were?"

"Certainly, Miss Clarke." Jarvis's pleasant voice floated through the room. "The first five presidents were George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe."

"Okay, wow, thanks."

I didn't even know the first five prime ministers of Australia, let alone the first five US presidents. The names George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were familiar, but I'd never heard of the other guys. My brain didn't know this, so I couldn't dream it.

Ugh, I needed coffee.

Almost falling out of the too-soft bed, I slipped out into the silent apartment and headed for the kitchen. I shuffled through the cupboards, but couldn't find a single tin or jar of instant coffee.

"What the fuck?"

With a long groan, I stumbled to the elevator and hopped in when the doors opened.

"Jarvis, take me to wherever there's coffee."

"To the common room then, Miss Clarke."

Common room? I figured that's the living room from yesterday. Calling it a common room did make more sense, I suppose.

When the doors opened, I walked out into the now familiar living space. There was a table with some stools near the window-wall, where Pepper and Natasha were chatting amiably with steaming mugs in their hands.

"Coffee," I stated, announcing my arrival. "I need coffee."

Pepper raised an eyebrow but smiled anyway. "Good morning to you too."

"Don't the old men have coffee?" Natasha questioned, taking a sip of her own.

"No," I grumbled, dragging myself onto a stool at the table. Thankfully it had a backrest. "The fucking assholes don't have any fucking coffee in their whole fucking apartment."

"Do you think you can curse any more in a single sentence?"

"Probably. I'll try harder next time."

"I'll get you some coffee." Pepper said, getting up from her seat. "You look like you need it."

I snapped my head up to look her quickly. "Oh no, that's alright. Just tell me where it is and I'll make myself some."

"It's fine. Let me get it." Pepper headed over to the bar, where I saw a pot of coffee sitting. She grabbed a mug from under the bench and poured a cup. "Cream and sugar?"

Cream? Why the fuck would I want cream in my coffee?

"Just some milk is fine. Thanks Pepper." The red-head poured the milk in my coffee, stirring it and bringing it over. I sipped at it and sighed contentedly. "You're a life saver."

"I'm glad I could help."

"You're up early," Natasha pointed out. "It's not even six yet. Stark and Banner are already in the lab, but nobody else will be up for a little while yet."

I shrugged, gulping down more coffee. "Last night I was so tired I went to bed not long after dinner. Bedsides, my body clock still wakes me up early from when I had a job."

"You worked the morning shift?" Distaste flashed across Natasha's face. Don't know why it would, it's not like she worked normal hours either.

"Yeah," I laughed. "I didn't mind it, though. There were less annoying customers, and I never had to worry about those people who loved to buy a armfuls of shit two minutes before closing time."

Pepper grinned, shaking her head. "I worked in retail one summer during high school. I always had to close the store and I hated it. But now I look back and think it helped me learn how to deal with people like Tony."

"Speaking of Tony, how long have you two been together?" I asked, looking at the mark on her wrist. "The movies didn't say when exactly you met or started working for him."

Pepper rubbed at the mark absently, a smile lighting up her face. "If you're wondering when we became soulmates, it wasn't until after Tony's kidnapping."

"Wait, what? _After_ the kidnapping?"

"I guess it can be confusing to someone who didn't grow up in this world." She laughed.

"Soulmarks don't always just appear the second you meet the person, like it did for you, Steve, and Bucky." Natasha explained. "Sometimes the people know each other for a long time but aren't ready to be soulmates yet."

"Tony became my soulmate when his whole outlook on life changed. We weren't entirely compatible before then." Pepper finished.

"Okay, yeah, I guess that makes sense." I smiled into my coffee, before turning my attention to the other red-head. "What about you and Clint?"

She smirked. "It wasn't instant, but we didn't have to wait long to be marked either. Are you aware that he was sent to kill me?"

"Uh-huh, but he made a different call."

"He did," Natasha's eyes glazed over as she relived the memory. "He saw something in me that showed potential, and once my life had been spared, the marks appeared."

"That's so cute." I have her a goofy smile and she rolled her eyes, but smiled back. It instantly brightened her features, unlike her usual smirk, and I decided that Nat should smile more often.

My lips pulled down into a frown when something quite depressing occurred to me.

"If some people never change, does that mean they never meet their soulmate?"

"Thankfully not," Pepper looked deep in thought, her finger tracing the rim of her mug. "But while most people get a soulmate, nobody is guaranteed one."

"That's why Bucky said he never thought he'd get one." Natasha added.

"Well I'm glad it worked out for all of us in the end." I said, standing up with my now empty mug and heading for the bar. I tried not to think about the fact the some people went their whole lives with no soulmate while everyone around them had one.

"More coffee already?" Natasha's smirk was back, and I laughed.

"If there's one thing you should know about me, Nat, it's that I love coffee more than anything else in the world."

"Nat?"

My turn to smirk. "It's two syllables shorter than Na-ta-sha, and I'm lazy."

I wandered back over to them with my fresh mug of heaven, resuming the seat I'd been sitting on before.

"So how are Steve and James?" Pepper asked conversationally, surprising me with her use of Bucky's real name. "And how are you handling having soulmates?"

To be honest, I hadn't thought about the soulmate thing with them since yesterday, and I told them as much. I examined the white star on my wrist, rubbing my thumb over it slowly.

"I… I don't know what to think about all of this. I mean, out of everyone I could've been marked to, I definitely won the soulmate lottery. But… Ugh, it's just so insane and I'm still a bit overwhelmed. It hasn't sunk in yet. Sorry."

Pepper reached out and laid her hand over my own reassuringly, her gaze so sincere it warmed my heart. She looked almost motherly.

"Hey, there's no need to be sorry." She squeezed my hand gently. "It took me a while to accept the fact that my boss was suddenly my soulmate. Just take some time to get used to it. The boys will understand."

"Thanks Pepper, I will, I promise." I smiled at her, truly thankful for her kind words, even if the situation still brought me confusion. "Is it normal to have two soulmates?"

"It's not as common, but it's quite normal." Natasha said, finishing off her coffee.

Some part of me wasn't sure if I should believe her. "Are Steve and Bucky also going to be, uh, romantically involved with each other? Shit, were they _already_ more than friends before I came along?"

The laugh that spilled from Natasha's lips was low and full of mirth. Pepper hid her quiet giggles behind her mug. How had she not finished her coffee yet?

"Only time will tell," Nat said when she'd finished laughing. "Triad soulmates are different. Usually two of the mates will be platonic only, though it's not unusual for all three to be romantic. But no, they've never been anything more than best friends."

"Hmm…" I leaned back in my seat, sipping at my coffee.

A part of me instantly hoped that Steve and Bucky would be romantic. If they had each other in such a way that wasn't just platonic, then when I eventually fucked up, they wouldn't need me.

Oh, and I would fuck up, without even trying.

Like everyone else I'd ever been with, they'd grow tired of the things that made me who I was. If I let myself grow attached, they'd find me too clingy or possessive. Or maybe they'd be freaked out by the fact that I knew them so much because of the movies.

To them, I was probably just some silly fangirl that they were stuck with. Which was kind of funny, because while I loved the MCU movies, I wasn't a creepy stalker fan like some.

So that was that. I'd either push them away, or they'd not want anything to do with me.

* * *

Natasha had left when Clint came in, wanting to have a morning workout session with his soulmate. Pepper and I sat in silence, me absently sipping at my coffee slowly to make it last longer, and the redhead reading something on a sleek tablet.

The sound of the elevator dinging to signal somebody's arrival snapped me out of my thoughts. Steve stepped out, wearing sweatpants and a plain white shirt that clung to every contour of his muscular chest.

Oh, my fuck.

"Morning Beth," Steve mumbled, rubbing one hand through his sleep-tussled hair while the other held a suspicious steaming mug. "Jarvis told me I'd find you here."

I narrowed my eyes at the mug. "Is that coffee?"

Steve frowned with confusion. "Yeah…?"

"What the fuck?" I cried, pouting my lips childishly as I slid down in my seat. "I searched that damn kitchen and couldn't find any coffee. So why the hell do you have some?"

"It's percolated. We keep the coffee grounds in the freezer." He said, realizing why I was so upset.

"I wish I'd known that earlier," I grumbled. "Never get between me and my coffee."

"I'll try and remember that for next time."

He came over to the table with a goofy smile, taking the stool next to mine. I sighed, sipping at my second coffee while trying not to get flustered by the 240 pounds of patriotic muscle sitting beside me.

"Morning Pepper," Steve nodded to the other woman politely, before turning his attention to me. "So, I was wondering if you'd like to do something with Bucky and I today?"

Oh, shit. Why didn't I expect this? I had to think of something, and fast. Of course, my mind immediately flickered to my new life here, and my sudden lack of clothes.

"Actually, I was wondering if Pepper could take me shopping?" I plastered on a wide smile and looked at Pepper with what was hopefully _not_ a desperate expression.

Better stay casual so I don't look eager to avoid my soulmate.

Pepper, thankfully, looked up from her tablet with a smile. "Of course we can go shopping. I have a meeting at twelve, but you need some of your own clothes, and we should be quick if we just get the basics."

"Thank you so much," I returned her smile, pulling at the hem of the top I wore. "I really do need my own clothes. I can't borrow yours forever. Besides, I love shopping almost as much as coffee."

"Is there anything you love more than coffee?" Steve questioned.

"Nope!" I grinned, finishing off my cup to make a point. I glanced at the super soldier out of the corner of my eye, debating my next words. "Do you want to come with us?"

Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.

"Nah, that's alright." Steve waved a hand, suddenly looking nervous. "You girls have fun, I'll probably just train with Bucky or catch up on movies. Sam wants me to watch something called Rocky."

Even though I'd wanted him to say no, then why did I suddenly feel so disappointed?

"Oh, okay. You have fun as well. But, uh, Pepper, I only have the underwear I put on last night."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Pepper exclaimed with a laugh. "I actually thought of that last night, and went online after dinner to order you some underwear with overnight shipping. When it's delivered, I'll lend you some clothes and we can head out."

I wanted to cry at how thoughtful Pepper was, honestly, this woman deserved a medal. "Seriously, thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Beth."

In my peripheral vision, it looked like Steve was staring a bit too hard into his coffee. When I looked up, I noticed his ears were pink as well.

"Does talking about underwear make you nervous, Captain?" I laughed, prodding his side gently.

Okay, I wanted to avoid him and all, but teasing him was just too damn easy.

"No," he lied, his blush growing. I bit my lip to stop from laughing any more, quickly finishing my coffee instead. I glanced down at the mug, unsure where to put it. There hadn't been a sink at the bar. "Here, I'll take it."

Without waiting for a reply, Steve took my mug to over behind the bar, where I figured there was a dishwasher or something.

"Thanks," I said, stretching as I slid off my chair. "I'm gonna go shower or have a bath or something. I showered last night, but that bathroom is a dream and I wanna know all that it has to offer."

Pepper grinned. "Okay, I'll have Jarvis let you know when the delivery is here."

"Perfect, thanks," I started making my way to the elevator, turning my head back to smirk at Steve. "See you later, handsome."

A blush was his only response before the elevator doors blocked my view.

* * *

 _A/N: Yeah, Beth is pretty all over the place with her emotions and actions right now. But wouldn't you be, if you were in her situation? Idk, but I hope you all liked this chapter._

 _Rebel-love: Thank you! When I pre-write a lot of chapters, I'll probably start posting more than once a week... but that has yet to happen. I have a plan for Wanda and Pietro, but it's a secret ;) And I_ don't _currently have any plans for Bruce to hulk-out, but I love those nicknames (Star Man reminds me of the Bowie song haha)_

 _Rebel theory: All their stars are white :)_


	7. Shopping

_A/N: This chapter is kind of long compared to some of the others, but was gonna be way longer... Except, I spent my spare time reading Stucky fanfics instead of writing. Oops. Sorry for any editing mistakes you find._

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Shopping

* * *

After relaxing in a hot bath until my fingers started to prune, I'd wrapped myself in a fluffy white bathrobe I'd found in one of the bathroom drawers, then plopped myself on my bed and stared out the excessively large window.

Holy shit. I was actually in New York fucking City. And I was going to go shopping in New York fucking City.

Okay, I really do have to be dreaming after all.

"Jarvis, what's the name of New York's basketball team?"

"The New York Knicks, Miss Clarke." Jarvis smoothly replied. "Would you like to know anything else to prove this is real?"

Was that a hint of sarcasm I just heard? "Sassy little shit."

I mulled over the answer he'd given me, wondering if my brain could think up a basketball team name as weird as _Knicks_. The only thing I knew about sport in general is that I hate it, so I figured my brain wouldn't make up some stupid sport's team name.

Besides, my dreams were never this long or vivid before.

The clock on my bedside table said it was almost eight, which meant I'd been in the bath for about an hour. Nice.

"Has the package arrived yet?" I asked the AI, running my fingers through my hair. There'd been a toothbrush and toothpaste in the bathroom, but no hairbrush.

"Not yet, Miss Clarke. But Miss Potts has informed me to let you know when it does."

"Thanks."

With no idea of when the package would actually arrive, I decided it would be best to find something to occupy my time. So wearing the robe and nothing more, I made my way out of my room and into the apartment.

It was empty, and I silently thanked my lucky stars. I so didn't need my distraction to come in the form of a super soldier. My resolve to distance myself from them was only so strong.

Bypassing the TV, I headed for the little den near the elevator. I figured Steve and Bucky had so many books because they had so many years of catching up to do, and I wanted to know what they deemed important or interesting enough to read.

What I'd consider the essentials were there: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and almost every Stephen King classic. There were some surprises too, like Twilight and The Hunger Games, but then again, they were so insanely popular that it made sense for them to read them.

At least they'd understand the joke when someone called Clint 'Katniss'.

There were some thrillers as well. Several Agatha Christie novels, of course, but I went straight for You by Caroline Kepnes. I'd read it recently before I'd gotten here, and had been waiting for the sequel to go on sale.

"You like reading?"

I spun around, hand clutching my chest at the fright I'd gotten from being snuck up on. Bucky stood there, grinning widely, knowing he'd scared me.

"Holy shit, fuck!" I plopped down on the overstuffed lounge, dropping the book in my lap. "Is sneaking up on people an assassin thing? Because you're not a little guy."

"You calling me fat?" Bucky questioned, one eyebrow quirked but the grin never leaving his face. He leaned against the wall beside one of the bookcases.

"Yeah, I am. You should really work out or something."

"You're breakin' my heart here, Beth." He laughed. "But you didn't answer my question. Do you like reading?"

"I'm not what you'd call a bookworm, exactly, but I do enjoy reading." I held up the book. "Especially thrillers. Weird choice, by the way."

Bucky shrugged. "Pepper said it was getting great reviews online and suggested we read it. Steve was too disturbed to finish it, but I thought it was interesting."

"Interesting is an understatement. It's not every day you read a book written from the point of view of a stalker." I smiled.

"Did you like it?"

"Loved it." I laughed at his raised eyebrows. "The weirder the thriller, the better."

"Well, any recommendations, then?" Bucky smirked.

"Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris."

"We own all the books."

"Intensity by Dean Koontz. Or Velocity."

"Own Velocity, but I've read both."

"Basically anything by Michael Crichton, but especially Jurassic Park, Next, and Sphere."

"The man's a genius, of course I've read all his works. But only the Jurassic Park movies were good."

"You're damn right they were. Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson."

"Read it, but haven't seen the movie yet. Steve has and said it wasn't worth watching if I'd already read the book."

I let out a huff, trying to think of a book he might not have read. "Bird Box by Josh someone. Can't remember his name."

"Uh…" That stopped Bucky, and I let out a victorious grin. "No, I don't think I've read that one yet."

"Trust me, you'd remember if you did. It's intense."

"I'll add it to the never-ending list of books I need to read." He grinned boyishly, inclining his head to the books that were threatening to spill out of the case already.

"Add it to the top of the list." I grinned right back. "How have you read so many books already, anyway?"

Bucky shrugged, dragging a hand through his long hair. "I'm just a fast reader. Guess I had to be, really. Reading a mission objective was never as important as going out and actually doing the mission."

Huh, that made sense.

"What are you two talking about?" Steve asked, coming over to join us. I noticed that his footsteps were as silent as Bucky's, but at least I saw him coming.

I waved the book in the air. "Books and shit."

"Oh, that book was just _wrong_." Steve grimaced, eyeing the book distastefully. "The author definitely had issues."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "You're just upset because it made you empathise with a stalker."

"Did not, jerk." Steve glared at him, shoulders tense.

My laugh broke the tension. "I don't know if I hated the stalker or his victim more, to be honest."

Steve shoulders relaxed, but the smile he shot me faded when he looked at what I was wearing. "Is… Are you just wearing your bath robe?" The tips of his ears turned pink.

"I sure am." I held back a grin again, and smiled slowly up at him. I could keep my distance and still tease them, right? "Like what you see, Captain?"

"We both do," said Bucky, earning a poke in the ribs from Steve as his blush spread to his cheeks.

Shaking my head, I stood and headed passed them. "I need to read in peace. You boys should take a cold shower or something."

It was surprisingly easy to make Steve blush, and I loved it. I mean, twice in one morning without even trying? I deserved an award.

* * *

A couple of hours later, when I was several chapters into the book, Jarvis caught my attention.

"Miss Clarke, Miss Potts has requested I inform you that the package has arrived. Shall I let her in?"

"Yes, thanks."

"Very well, miss Clarke." Jarvis replied. "She'll be here in just a moment."

True to his word, not a minute passed before there was a knock on my bedroom door. I opened it up to let Pepper in, her arms full with a pair of slip-on shoes on top of a smallish package, which was also on top of some folded clothes.

"I'm so sorry for the delay, Beth." Pepper apologised, though she really didn't need to. It wasn't her fault. "I'd hoped they would deliver it earlier, and now I don't have time to go shopping with you."

Oh, shit. I smiled anyway, hoping to reassure her it was fine. "That's okay, you can't control the delivery time. When can we go shopping next?" I took the items from her hands when she offered them to me.

"Oh, you can still go today. I asked Natasha, and she said her and Clint would be happy to take you. They're ready when you are."

"You're a saint, Pepper, you know that?" I laughed, unfolding one of the clothing items she gave me. It was a simple black dress, tight at the waist and with an A-line skirt. "Thank you for all of this. Really."

Pepper smiled. "It's no problem. You can keep that dress if you like it. It's too short for me, but Tony insisted on buying it."

"Of course he did," I said, rolling my eyes.

"The cardigan is in case you find the weather a little cooler than you're used to." Pepper continued when I unfolded the item. She pulled a fancy phone out of her pocket that looked similar to an iPhone, but was all touchscreen - there was no home button. "Here's your StarkPhone, pre-installed with everyone's phone number so we can keep in contact. There's also a tracking device built into it, so we won't lose you."

I stared at the device held out for me, not willing to take it just yet. "You're just giving me a phone? Just like that?"

"Tony insisted you have it as a precaution. It's for your safety as well as our peace of mind." Pepper explained, placing the phone in my hand when I still didn't take it.

"Holy shit, thank you."

I didn't care if that meant they still didn't trust me, because goddamn, I just got a free fucking phone. Everything's coming up Milhouse!

"You can thank Tony for that," Pepper laughed. "Natasha already has one of Tony's credit cards for you to use. There's no limit, because I trust you'll buy only what you deem necessary."

"So no Chanel perfume or Louboutin's?" I joked, earning another laugh.

"Exactly," she grinned, standing to move to the door. "Before I go, is there anything else you need?"

I thought about everything I used in my daily life that wasn't clothing and wasn't already supplied. A hairbrush was a must, and maybe some elastics in case the ones I already had snapped. I always kept some paracetamol on hand as well, when I suddenly remembered.

"Shit, my pill!" I glanced up at Pepper, eyes wide. "Do you think I can squeeze in a doctor's appointment before I go shopping? I can skip today and maybe tomorrow, but any longer and my cycle will go completely out of whack."

She seemed understanding of what I wanted. "Visit Helen before you leave. She doesn't stock contraceptive pills in the med bay, but she can write you a prescription. And I think she'd like to check up with you anyway."

I'd almost forgotten she'd given me a check-up yesterday, and it wasn't even 24 hours ago. Then again, I _had_ thought I'd been dreaming, as well as being hungry, exhausted, and in a lot of pain.

"Oh, awesome, I'll do that right after I get dressed." On a whim, I got up and hugged Pepper, quickly letting go so I didn't completely freak her out. "Thank you again, for everything. I honestly appreciate what you're doing for me."

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "It's okay, Beth. We might not know much about you, but you're Steve and Bucky's soulmate. And even if you weren't, I'd still treat you the same. Now, get ready and go have fun."

With a squeeze to my shoulder, Pepper left me to get dressed. I went for the package first, of course, finding a few pairs of basic underwear, and a simple bra in my size.

And thank fuck it all fit. American sizes were different to Australian ones, and even though I knew my US size (thanks to lots of online shopping), there was still a chance that it wouldn't be a true fit.

The dress, it turned out, fit like a glove as well. It fell to my mid-thigh, and with Pepper being several inches taller than me, I could only imagine how short it would be on her.

I slipped the cardigan on, sliding the phone into one of the pockets, which just made that side of the material drag down Oh well. I slid on the shoes and headed out of the apartment.

* * *

After seeing Dr Cho and getting a prescription for the same pill I'd had before, Clint and Natasha drove me to the closest Target to the Avengers tower. It wouldn't usually be my first choice for shopping, but it's the only shop that I knew actually had what I needed. I mean, how different could it be to the one I knew in Australia?

Okay, it was a little different, but not by much, and it really did have everything I needed.

I got what I considered the basics. I started with a few more pairs of underwear and bras. Nothing too fancy, just a small variety to go with different types of clothes. At Nat's suggestion I bought a plain black bikini, because apparently there was a pool in the tower.

For actual clothes I got two pairs of jeans, one blue and the other black, both high-waisted because I not only found them more comfortable than low-rise jeans, but they were also more versatile. I could wear crop tops with them and not worry about showing my stomach.

I had to hold myself back from going overboard with the dresses and skirts. I limited myself to three of each, figuring there'd be the chance I'd go shopping again in the future. Though I did let myself get several tops so I could mix and match.

Shoes were easy enough. I found a pair of ankle boots that were super comfy and would probably become my everyday shoes. There were plenty of cute heels, so I chose a pair with a platform and block heel, because I needed the extra height and couldn't walk in stilettos.

I also got a pair of plain black canvas sneakers at Clint's insistence, because he believed the ankle boots weren't appropriate for daily use.

Silly bird.

When everything had been tried on, I grabbed a hairbrush and some ties, and then also some basic makeup (foundation, eyeliner, mascara, chapstick, and a single tube of red lipstick), before figuring we were done in Target.

It was just passed midday, and we all desperately needed lunch. Clint and I were complaining about hunger so much that I was sure Nat was tempted to just leave us there.

"If you don't tell me where you want to eat in the next thirty seconds, then you can go hungry," she threatened.

Clint rolled his eyes. "I don't think a certain pair of super soldiers would appreciate that."

"They'll get over it."

"Ugh, just take me somewhere I can have a coffee while I eat." I groaned out, needing another hit of caffeine to get me through the second half of the day.

We stashed my shopping bags back into the car, then decided to head to a nearby café for lunch. It was the type of place where you ordered before finding a seat, and I was a little grateful. I secretly hated the places where you paid after you ate.

With the prospect of a freshly cooked meal being made for him, Clint had considerably perked up. He was leaning into Natasha's side, whispering something that had her fighting to keep a smile off her face.

It was adorable, but I couldn't help but feel like a third wheel.

Natasha immediately noticed how uncomfortable I seemed, and nudged Clint's arm gently. He looked up at me sheepishly, clearing his throat.

"So, uh…" He muttered, seemingly trying hard to find something to say. His eyes lit up not a moment later. "When I asked you why you thought my relationship with Natasha was interesting, you said you'd tell us when it was private. Is this private enough for you?"

I looked around at the other customers in the café, chatting amongst themselves, or heavily engrossed in their phones, laptops, or books. Not like it mattered much to tell them here anyway. I just thought they'd rather not have their teammates hear.

"Yeah, this is as good a time as any," I shrugged, giving them a smile. "Well, so, the first movie you two appeared in together was The Avengers, like I mentioned. The movie didn't explicitly say you two were together, but it hinted at it enough for people to ship the shit out of you two."

Natasha quirked an eyebrow, her mouth twisting into just the tiniest hint of a smirk. "I'm sensing there's a 'but'."

"Yeah, there is." I nodded, before letting out a sigh. "I kind of don't even wanna tell you, because it involves another Avenger and also something that one of you can never have."

And it was true. Clint had been able to successfully start a family in the movieverse, but Natasha had been sterilized by the Red Room and was therefore unable to have children, not matter how much she wanted to.

I mean, sure, they could adopt. But it wasn't the same as having your own flesh and blood.

"Ah, come on, just spit it out." Clint whined, just as a waitress appeared with my coffee, Clint's milkshake, and Natasha's fruit smoothie.

Quickly hiding myself behind the large mug, I shook my head. "I don't wanna upset either of you. It's kinda personal and I'm starting to feel shitty that I know this from some movies and not from you guys telling me yourselves."

"Beth, it's okay, you're not going to offend us." Natasha reassured me, though her tone was the same as she always used and therefore not very reassuring.

"Oh, fucking hell, alright." I muttered, swallowing a mouthful of coffee to calm my nerves. "But don't say I didn't warn you.

"You, Natasha, in the second Avengers film, apparently had a thing for Bruce and the feeling was mutual, even if he was a little awkward about it. And you, Clint, had a secret family with two kids and another on the way."

I was not expecting their reactions, to say the least.

* * *

 _A/N: If you're a thriller fan, then I highly recommend all of the books mentioned at the start of this chapter!_

 _Next chapter: Natasha and Clint's reactions, Beth's personal revelations, and Bruce finally decides to make an appearance._


	8. Revelations

_A/N: Am I sorry for leaving the last chapter on a cliffhanger? Not really ;) You might hate me for the end of_ this _chapter, though. I hope you all enjoy it anyway!_

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

Revelations

* * *

Natasha raised both her eyebrows, her lips now fully curled into an amused grin, while Clint barked out laughter loud enough to earn a few side glances from the other patrons. I slumped back in my seat and sipped at my coffee, hating being laughed at while simultaneously being glad they weren't upset.

Clint wiped at his eyes, struggling to contain his laughter. Was it really that funny?

"I… You… I can't believe you thought something as ridiculous as that would make us upset," he wheezed out, shaking his head. "You _do_ know who you're talking to, right?"

"Yes, I do. But I also took into the consideration that you're human beings with human feelings." I paused as the waitress came back with our food, and when the large plate holding the burger and fries I ordered was put in front of me, I immediately dug in. "You're not just some movie characters anymore, which, admittedly, I'm still getting used to."

There was a strange look in Natasha's eyes, like she was seeing me for the first time. "I think I've seriously underestimated you, Beth."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you know that you've been deemed a threat since you arrived," she replied, and I nodded my agreement. "It doesn't matter who your soulmates are, you came here under unknown circumstances, and into the very heart of our home where we're supposed to be safest."

"I'm sensing there's a 'but'," I said, mimicking her words from earlier.

She smiled. "But, I underestimated your humanity. I've seen no reason to believe you've lied to us at all, so taking that into account, it's actually quite amazing how well you're adjusting to everything. Like you said, we were movie characters in your world, and our feelings could mean nothing to you. And yet you take them into consideration."

"Wow, thank you." Did the deadly Black Widow - probably the most detached and dangerous woman in the world - just compliment me? "And you're welcome, of course."

The red-head shared a glance with her soulmate, before turning back to me. It was Clint that spoke, though.

"Please don't take this personally, but you have to understand that we still don't entirely trust you. You may not have lied yet, like Nat said, but we still know nothing about you while you know God-knows how much about us. And we'd really appreciate if you didn't share anything without consulting us about it first."

"We are glad you told us about our movie relationships away from the rest of the team, though." Natasha added, her smile from earlier looking more like a smirk again. "Bruce is awkward enough already."

"Poor guy," I laughed. "But yeah, you don't have to worry about me spilling any secrets. I think that's probably about it, really. Maybe there were some little things here and there, but lots of stuff that was mentioned was also never explained."

"Like what?"

"Budapest. I'd sell my soul to Satan to know what happened in Budapest."

Natasha actually laughed. "Consider your soul safe, then." She grinned as she ate her steak and salad.

"Sometimes even _I_ don't think I know what happened in Budapest." Clint winked at us, digging into his own burger, then said around a mouthful of food, "You wanna head back to the tower after this?"

I pulled a face at him. "Yeah, I guess… Wait, no, I need to go to the chemist and get my prescription first."

"Fiiiiiine."

* * *

Turns out I'd not only forgotten to get a handbag and purse, but also socks of all things. I had the thigh-highs I'd been wearing when I'd arrived last night, but I definitely needed more than just those.

We got back to the tower just after two, and after spending the next hour organizing everything into my new closet perfectly (it shouldn't have taken so long, but I reorganized it twice), I decided to go find myself a small snack. It was still a few hours before dinner, and I was starting to feel a little peckish. I'd sometimes have some fruit to snack on while I shopped, but didn't today.

Steve and Bucky were in the lounge room, watching some 80s movie I'd never seen. Probably something Sam had recommended. They'd been watching it when I'd gotten back, so I assumed it'd be nearing the end soon.

After shooting them a small smile but not saying anything, lest I interrupt the movie, I headed towards the kitchen. I knew it was well-stocked; this morning I'd ransacked the place for coffee, and found enough food to last me several years during an apocalypse. But I assumed it was a week's worth of food for the two super soldiers with their super metabolism.

Craving some fruit after my salty lunch, I looked through their fruit bowl for some bananas. None. Absolutely none. There were apples, pears, plums, and a few avocados, but not a damn banana in sight. Groaning, I opened the fridge and leaned in. Among the meat, veggies, bottled water, and a case of beer, were a few punnets of strawberries and blueberries. I didn't exactly expect to find some bananas in the fridge, but I was disappointed none-the-less.

I grabbed both the berries and moved to the breakfast bar. "Fuck everything."

The movie must've ended, because Steve and Bucky were making their way over.

"What's up?" Steve asked, leaning on the bar across from me. Bucky sat on the stool to my left.

"Did you eat all your bananas or something?" I pouted, popping a blueberry in my mouth. Bucky grabbed one to eat as well. "Because I just really want a fucking banana but you don't have any."

Bucky laughed, grabbing a strawberry next. "That's because modern bananas taste like shit."

Um, did he just…? Oh no, that was not okay. "Have you been eating them before they're completely ripe or something?"

"No," Bucky rolled his eyes, "they're just different from the ones Stevie and I grew up with."

"Okay, then why don't you just buy those then?" Seriously, bananas were the best and it was taking all of my self-control not to get super offended.

Steve laughed, easing the tension. "It's because they don't exist anymore. Apparently some plague wiped them out in the fifties."

"And now we're stuck with bananas that aren't as sweet or creamy," Bucky finished.

Sweeter and creamier than normal bananas? I couldn't imagine that. "Well that's a damn shame then, I'd have loved to try them. But I still love normal bananas. In fact, next time I go out, I'll buy myself a bunch."

Bucky pulled a face. "Please don't."

"Bucky," Steve warned.

I rolled my eyes. "They'll be _mine_. You so much as look at them wrong and I can promise you'll be sorry. Now stop eating all the berries. I'm hungry."

Just to spite me, Bucky grabbed one last blueberry with a cheeky grin. He got up and helped Steve make some large salad sandwiches. The thought crossed my mind that they'd be too full for dinner, until I remembered that they needed more food than regular people.

In fact… I looked to the living room, and sure enough, I could just see a large bowl on the coffee table, empty save for a few popcorn kernels. Damn, their grocery bill must be expensive.

"How do you guys afford your metabolism?" I wondered aloud. "I mean, Tony's generous enough to let you live here and all, but I doubt he pays for your food."

"Several decades worth of military back pay." Steve explained absently, like he answered this question all the time. "We both managed to rack up millions of dollars."

If I had a drink, I would've spat it out. "You're both _millionaires_?"

"Yep," Bucky grinned. "The paperwork was a bitch, but once it was all done, we were sorted for life. I'm officially retired."

"I'd expect you to be, at your age."

He flicked a piece of grated carrot at me. "That's not nice."

"Neither are you," I said, flicking the piece right back.

Steve groaned, but when he looked at us, he seemed content. "You two are such children."

It suddenly occurred to me that while I knew these two men from the movies, I didn't actually _know_ them on a deeper level. And what did they know about me? That I was a foul-mouthed Aussie fangirl from a different universe? I loved coffee and shopping? That wasn't much. And yet we got along so well. When I tried to distance myself from them, I still found myself drawn into conversations, even light ones like these.

"Why aren't we more awkward with each other?" I asked suddenly. "Like, we don't even know each other very well at all, but talking to you both is so easy and just comes so naturally. I mean, if anything, I should be fangirling or something."

Bucky looked at me funny. "Isn't it obvious?"

"What's obvious?"

"It's because we're soulmates." Steve clarified, smiling gently. "If we hadn't have been marked the moment we met, then sure, it could've been more awkward. But because we were, the bond prevented that."

That just made it sound like the soulbond was controlling my actions, and it was something I definitely didn't like. "So it's not even us, then?"

Bucky gave Steve a gentle shove. "Don't listen to him. It would've been the same as it is now, because you get marked when you're ready to get marked, not any earlier, and not any later. We were marked instantly because we didn't _need_ prior time to get to know each other better. Besides, it's not always _not_ awkward. I mean, you still make Steve blush."

That was true, and it was damn fun to do so. "So I would've gotten along with you both anyway. Does the soulbond enhance that in any way?"

"A little bit, yeah."

Okay, great, that meant I'd have to try _extra_ hard to distance myself from these two. Because now I knew. We would've gotten along well, soulmates or not, but the bond in place was actively keeping me from what I wanted to do.

Shit, I'd have to actually ignore them entirely if I ever wanted this to work.

"I, uh, I have to pee."

It was a lame excuse, and Steve and Bucky knew it, if the concerned look they gave each was anything to go by.

But they let me go to my room with no protests, and didn't bother me at all, even though I didn't come out until it was time for dinner.

* * *

The food was already spread out over the two coffee tables when we arrived at the common room, the scent of Chinese takeout filling the air. My immediate reaction was to deny the food - I'd gotten food poisoning from cheap Chinese far too many times in my life - but I forced the feeling away and decided, fuck it. Despite my bad experience with it, I adored Chinese food (and Japanese… and Korean…)

I'm damn glad I didn't turn down the food, because it was probably the best I'd ever tasted. No doubt Tony had the best place in New York on speed dial.

We'd all settled in with our food, the super soldiers flanking my sides as usual (which made it all the more difficult to ignore them), when Bruce emerged from the lab and came over to join us. He took a seat on the couch next to Thor.

"Uh, hi," he said nervously, reaching for some sweet and sour pork.

My hand paused, holding a forkful of honey chicken halfway to my mouth. "Hey Bruce." I grinned.

"Sorry I haven't come to meet you yet." He smiled sheepishly. "I have the Other Guy under control most of the time, but I still like to be careful around unknown threats, like young women who appear in the tower out of thin air one day."

"I understand, don't worry about it." I waved him off, popping some more chicken in my mouth.

He seemed relieved with my answer, and finally began digging into his own food. "We haven't made much progress with determining where the energy on your sweatshirt came from, or why it sent you here, so we've contacted Dr Selvig to come check it out."

"He's the portal expert," Tony added, grinning lazily. "But he's busy right now, and won't be able to come check it out for another month at least."

"You better be paying him well. I don't want him taking time out of his busy schedule to come look at something that isn't particularly important to me. I mean, I love that hoodie and all, but the energy or whatever is something I don't wanna remember anytime soon. It hurt like a bitch."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Not only will I be paying him extremely well, but he's also very excited to see what we've got. Thor took a look and said it's nothing like he's ever seen before."

"It isn't," Thor confirmed, brows pulling together in a frown. He honestly looked like a confused puppy. "Not even Loki's magic compares to whatever that energy is."

"Huh, weird." Though I was a little intrigued, I also wasn't feeling the excitement that the others were. Maybe I'd feel more interested when they actually found the answers they were looking for, and I… "Do I get my hoodie back once you figure all this shit out?"

"Yes, you'll get your ugly hoodie back." Tony rolled his eyes.

I plastered on an absurdly bright smile. "Jarvis, can you please tell Tony that he's an asshole?"

"I would, Miss Clarke, but I'm afraid he already knows."

Clint spat out his food while Tony gaped, glaring into the ceiling.

"Jarvis, you traitor!"

Trying to hold back my laughter, I quickly finished off my food, surreptitiously trying to ignore the amused smiles Steve and Bucky were sending my way. Like last night, exhaustion began to creep up on me and make my limbs feel heavy and my mind start to wander. I glanced at the super soldiers next to me. They still seemed quite awake, and I knew if I wanted to leave on my own, then I had to do so now.

"I think I'm gonna head off," I told them all, already getting off the couch. "Even with last night's good sleep, the last two days have exhausted me."

Steve looked ready to hop up. "Okay, we'll head back with you." He turned to look at Bucky, who nodded in agreement.

"Oh, no, it's okay. You guys stay here."

Clint grinned. "Yeah, she doesn't need to be chaperoned."

"Are you sure?" Bucky asked, though unlike Steve, he made no move to get up. Good.

I rolled my eyes. " _Yes_ , I'm sure."

"Before you go," Natasha quickly interrupted. "We need you to meet us here at ten tomorrow morning. We'd like to talk to you about some things that might help our upcoming mission."

Ah, they meant the mission in Sokovia to get the scepter. "I'll be here. Night everyone."

After a chorus of goodnights from the team, I headed back to the apartment and my room completely alone. Ignoring Steve and Bucky seemed easy enough in theory, and I believe I pulled it off well, yet it had been a little harder than I'd anticipated. I just really hoped they wouldn't pick up on what I was doing.

* * *

 _A/N: Bananas really were different for Steve and Bucky. They were called Gros Michel bananas and the only place they're available these days are in some south Asian countries (not sure which ones)._

 _My chapters are just a bit longer in this chapter. Do y'all like that? Should I make them shorter again? Idk, just experimenting with my writing style._

 _You're all probably gonna love/hate the next chapter ;)_


	9. Storytime with Thor

_A/N: Holy shit, I almost didn't get this done in time, but I did in the end because I love you all. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!_

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

Storytime with Thor

* * *

Going to bed early two nights in a row was definitely not part of my brain's plans, instead insisting on making me feel like shit about ignoring Steve and Bucky all evening. I just had to keep telling myself that it would get better in the long run.

Currently, I was still just a fangirl. If I let myself grow feelings, I'd only be disappointed in the end. Pepper and Natasha themselves said that sometimes only two of the triad soulmates are romantic. That had to be Steve and Bucky. I was just their platonic soulmate _friend_. I didn't know why I was, but it made more sense to me than being romantically involved with them. So yeah, no growing feelings for them.

After trying and failing to read a few more chapters of the book I'd borrowed that morning, I ended up playing around with my StarkPhone. It wasn't too hard to get the hang of - kind of like using an iPhone for the first time after owning an Android for all your life, or vice versa. But it was definitely far more advanced than any phone I'd ever seen before.

It had an app store, like normal phones, and I ended up downloading much more than I'd actually use because this thing had a fucktonne of memory. Honestly, I don't think I'd ever have to worry about taking a photo of something important only to have that dreaded _cannot take photo: storage full_ message appearing.

I finally got to sleep quite late, and so I slept in for the first time in forever the next morning. With just enough time to shower and throw on some clothes, I headed to the common room for the meeting thing with ten minutes to spare.

"Morning, Beth," Pepper greeted, the first to notice me. She was sitting at the same table as the previous morning, with another steaming mug and her tablet.

I gave a half-hearted wave, "Mornin' Pepper, mornin' everyone else." I stumbled over to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup, gulping down half in barely a few seconds.

Yeah, I was going to regret that. The coffee was too hot and left me with no feeling in my tongue. Oops. Refilling what I just drank, I took my mug and trudged over to the lounges, sitting on the only empty one. Not all the Avengers were there, just Steve, Tony, Thor, and Natasha.

Steve smiled at me, though it almost seemed cautious, like he was holding himself back. "Good morning, Beth."

"Good morning," Thor grinned, "I hope you slept well."

"When I actually managed to get asleep, I did." I sipped at my coffee, sighing.

Natasha's lips quirked to the side. "I thought you woke up late. Something on your mind?"

"Only a million things," I laughed half-heartedly, waving my free hand. "Can we get on with this. I wanna go back to bed with, like, a bowl of coffee."

"You heard her!" Tony laughed. "Okay, we looked into Sokovia, only to find out that it's an East European country currently in the middle of a rebellion. We contacted SHIELD about it, and learned they sent agents there to act as peacekeepers."

"But they were sent there before anyone knew that Hydra was in SHIELD." Steve added, with his serious Captain America face on.

"I don't know much about that, but Hydra has the sceptre, so I'm gonna assume those peacekeepers were double agents." I told them, putting my now empty mug on the coffee table.

Natasha nodded. "That's what we believe. Now, we need you to tell us exactly what you know from the movie. We think we're close to locating the sceptre, but anything you tell us can speed the whole process along."

"I'm sorry," I smiled sheepishly at them. "The focus of that scene was the action and dialogue. But you guys were in a forest, so away from the city, and the building was more like a castle. Seriously, it was at the top of a mountain I think, and was grey. That's about as much as I remember, though. Not sure if it helps."

"It does help, thank you." Steve's smile was warm and reached his eyes this time. I nodded politely back, ignoring the butterflies in my stomach.

"Yeah, what Cap said," Tony waved a hand. "Any more you can tell us? You mentioned the focus was action, so I assume you mean there was lots of fighting."

"Umm, there were heaps of guards or agents or whatever, most on foot with guns, while some were in these machine thingies in the woods. They looked like tank guns, and could move in circles, but they stayed in the same spot."

"Just that?" Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"No, there were two enhanced as well…" I paused, not wanting Wanda and Pietro to be hurt because I genuinely liked their characters. "They're twins, maybe my age or a few years younger, and think they're doing the right thing. A Stark bomb killed their parents when they were kids, so they hate Americans and you guys and they're really misguided, so please don't hurt them."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Do they not realize I no longer make weapons?"

"I don't think they care. Your weapon destroyed their lives. Besides, I'm pretty sure Hydra's only feeing their hatred."

"What are their powers?"

"Pietro has super-speed. He's like the Flash, I guess." I shrugged, not knowing how else to explain his powers. DC existed in this world, right? "And Wanda has telepathy and telekinesis. This red energy comes out of her hands and it looks fuckin' rad."

"Pietro and Wanda. They were on your list of favorite characters." Natasha pointed out.

I nodded. "They are. I mean, they were the bad guys at first, but they ended up joining you guys and helping out in the end. They're good at heart, and just wanna do the right thing. But they've been misguided by Hydra."

"Helping out with what?" Steve asked.

"With something that won't happen so long as Tony gives the sceptre to Thor and Thor takes it straight to Asgard."

"You still going on about that?" Tony whined. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yes and no. Wanda can make people see things, like hallucinations, which is what she does to you, Tony. Makes you see something horrible. But right now I need you to know that what she shows you is _not real_. It's not real and never will be."

He looked taken aback at the sincerity in my words, and a little nervous as well. I didn't blame him.

"I'll take your word for it," he said at last, swallowing loudly. He hopped up from the lounge suddenly. "Are we done here?"

"Yeah, I've got nothing else."

"Okay perfect!" And then he was off.

Steve, Natasha, and Thor all thanked me for the information, then left together, no doubt planning more of the upcoming mission. Pepper was already gone as well. I went and poured myself another cup of coffee, before heading back to the apartment with it.

Once back in my room, I noticed it right away. I mean, it was hard not to. Both of my side tables were quite bare, so the sleek black card stood out. I picked it up, and recognised it instantly as a credit card, with my name on it and everything. Problem was, nobody told me I was getting my own card, and I didn't even have a bank account in this world, let alone a job.

"Jarvis, who gave me this?" I asked, hoping the AI would have the answer.

"My apolgies, Miss Clarke, but I'm afraid I cannot answer that." Jarvis replied.

"So it was Tony?" As far as I knew, he was the only one who could tell Jarvis what and what not to do. Wasn't he?

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that, either."

"Fine, I understand. Thanks anyway." I flopped back on my bed, examining the card.

"Again, I apologise. But I have just been informed that Miss Potts would like to see you."

I shot back off the bed. "Thanks, send her in."

Pepper came to explain that she'd like to help me go through the tedious process of proving I actually exist. When I asked how I was able to get a credit card with my name on it before I technically existed, she ended up explaining that whoever got it for me simply added me as an authorized user to their bank account. She didn't, however, know how they did it, and suspected that some illegal activity was involved.

Well, that ruled Pepper out.

We ended up heading out to buy some groceries while she explained how I was to become a real person, and I finally got to buy some bananas like I wanted. I'd need them, with all of the paperwork and legal bullshit that was ahead of me.

* * *

Another night and another morning had passed, and not only did I have no clue to who gave me the damn credit card, but I'd successfully managed to avoid any interactions with Steve and Bucky that went beyond small talk. It was midday, and they were currently sparring in the gym while I ate my lunch.

And, oh fuck, was I bored.

It wasn't that there wasn't much to do - the bookcase was overflowing with books, and the TV was pre-programed with endless movies and shows that the other Avengers insisted on making Steve and Bucky watch. Hell, even my phone now had more apps than I needed thanks to my fiddling around with it the other night.

But I really just wanted someone to talk to.

I'd been avoiding everyone else because interacting with them and not my soulmates would be more than suspicious. At least this way I could blame it on homesickness or something. I wasn't homesick, though, which wasn't surprising. Sure, I missed Ali, but I never really did feel tied down to my life back home. It was probably a side-effect of moving around a lot during my childhood, or maybe I just lacked stability in my life.

But whatever. I was a social person and I needed some company, desperately. Pepper was busy with Stark Industries and my eventual debut into society, the super soldiers were out of the question, Nat and Clint were on a mission, Bruce and Tony were holed up in the lab as usual… which left Thor.

"Jarvis, what's Thor doing right now?"

"I believe Mr Odinson has just finished his lunch," Jarvis replied. "Would you like me to request his presence here, Miss Clarke?"

"Yes, please."

"Very well."

I finished off my own lunch, rinsing the plate in the sink before placing it in the dishwasher. Figuring I had a minute or two to spare, I ran to my bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth and hair, not wanting to seem unpresentable to a motherfucking _god_.

"Mr Odinson will be with you in a moment." Jarvis informed me.

I smiled at the ceiling, even though I knew quite well the AI didn't actually 'live' there. "Thanks, Jarvis."

The elevator opened just as I got back to the main room, and Thor stepped out with a polite smile.

"Hello, Beth," he greeted, looking around the apartment slowly. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I was just hoping you could give me some company." I laughed. Of course he must've assumed the worst.

He grinned. "Well then, I would be happy to oblige."

"Come on," I said, nodding to the lounge room. I took a spot on the lounge while Thor slumped back into one of the armchairs, placing his hammer on the ground beside his feet. I hadn't really thought of what we could talk about, but I suddenly had an idea. "Can you tell me a story? I know Norse mythology is based on your people, but I'm not too familiar with any of it."

"Oh, I know the perfect story!" Thor laughed suddenly, and I figured the story must be a funny one. "It involves the frost giants, which you're familiar with, yes?"

"I am."

"Perfect." He clapped his hands together and beamed at me. "So one morning, back when I was much younger, I awoke to find Mjolnir missing. As you can probably tell, I was distraught, and promptly fell into a rage as I searched everywhere, but to no avail."

He paused, picking his hammer up and twirling it around in his hands lovingly. I wonder if Jane ever got jealous of his love for Mjolnir?

"I told mother, and she suggested that Loki use his magic to locate it. Apparently he traced it to Jotunheim, where he approached a frost giant named Thrym, who admitted to taking Mjolnir and burying it eight miles below ground. He also said he had no intention of returning Mjolnir until our mother was made his bride."

"What?" I cried out, pulling a face. "Okay, first of all, _ew_. And also, she was already married!"

Thor laughed. "Indeed she was! But when Loki told him this, Thrym apparently did not care, and would not change his terms. Of course, when my brother returned to break the news, we were all furious. So as we sat in council, they decided on a plan - that I was to go to Jotunheim disguised as my mother, and thereby win back my hammer and defeat the thieves.

"I protested this idea at first, of course, but I consented in the end for the sake of my mother. Loki used his illusions to help create my costume, then disguised himself as my handmaiden. When we arrived, Thrym himself welcomed us and was none the wiser."

"Frost giants always seemed a bit dull, but then again, Loki's illusions are top-notch."

"Only one who knows Loki like I do can tell when he is using his magic." He paused briefly. "Well, sometimes. So before the wedding was a feast, and me being me, I ate my fair share and drank barrels of mead. Thrym was suspicious, declaring that he had never seen a woman with such an appetite."

"Were you busted?"

"No, thanks to Loki's silvertongue. He claimed I had recently lost my appetite from being too lovesick, so of course I was quite hungry. Thrym was overjoyed by the news, and went to kiss me. When he lifted my veil, I was unprepared and still angry at his thievery, and ended up glaring at him. He said my eyes were frightening for a maiden, but Loki again saved the day by stating that I had lost sleep from my lovesickness as well. The ceremony was right after that, and when Thrym called for Mjolnir to hallow our union, I grabbed the handle and instantly slew all of the frost giants there. Then Loki and I happily returned home"

I waited a few moments for Thor to continue, but when he didn't, I raised an eyebrow. "That was a good story and all, but the ending there was a bit anticlimactic."

"I assure you, it was a very good fight."

"Guess I had to be there," I laughed. "Seriously, it was pretty funny. I'd love to see you disguised as your mother, all grumpy while you prepared to get married to an ugly old frost giant. Do you have any more stories?"

Thor's grin was so wide I thought his face would split. "I have many a story, but would you like to hear about why my father has only one eye?"

"I'd love too," I replied, just as the elevator opened and two very sweaty super soldiers came striding in with purpose.

"Maybe another time, Thor." Steve said, only sounding vaguely apologetic.

Bucky smiled tightly. "Yeah, we'd like to talk to our soulmate alone."

Thor turned to me. "Beth, is this okay with you?" He must've realised I was avoiding the boys for a reason.

"Yeah, it's fine Thor, you can go." I smiled reassuringly at him.

"Well then, it was a pleasure." Thor smiled warmly, picked up his hammer, and made his way out. "Until next time!"

And then he was gone, leaving me alone with my two very cranky but determined soulmates. Steve took the armchair that Thor was just in, while Bucky took the spot on the lounge closest to it. There was still a fair bit of room between us, and I could see them both clearly without needing to turn my head.

I stared at them both for a moment before sighing. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Why are you ignoring us?" Bucky snapped, straight to the point, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly.

" _Bucky_ ," Steve reprimanded, before turning to me with narrowed eyes. "Seriously, why are you ignoring us?"

"Oh, my God! I'm leaving." I threw my hands up, so done with this conversation already, and moved to get off the couch.

"No!" The super soldiers yelled at the same time.

"Please, just stay," Steve pleaded.

Bucky nodded along eagerly. "C'mon, doll, we really do need to talk."

I sank back into the couch, waiting. Even if this was the opposite of what I wanted, I couldn't just say no to them like a straight up bitch. Besides, the relief on their faces made me feel all warm inside.

"Thank you," Steve breathed out. "But God, Beth, we need know why you're avoiding us."

"If we did something wrong, you have to let us know." Bucky added, eyes downcast.

And oh, did I feel bad. Because they thought they'd done something wrong, and yeah, avoiding them wasn't the answer if they did, but they still felt like shit. I did this.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong!" I said quickly, hoping to reassure them. Then the words just wouldn't stop. "It's just, this whole soulmate business is fucking with my head and you two are so perfect but I'm not and I really don't know why _I'm_ your soulmate. I'm sorry, I've been handling this all wrong, haven't I?"

"Yeah, you have." Bucky muttered with a light smile, no longer looking so forlorn. But his smile wasn't happy either.

Steve seemed sad, too. "Beth, do you… Do you not think you're good enough to be our soulmate?"

"Well, no," I admitted, staring down at my hands in my lap. "I admire you both, a lot, but I feel like this was a mistake. You two are so amazing and despite what I just said, I know neither of you are completely perfect, but I still don't think I'm good enough."

The two of them both moved from their seats, but I refused to look up until a hand took hold of my chin and made me. It was Steve's, and he moved that hand to one of my cheeks, while Bucky's flesh hand cupped the other.

"Oh, Beth, is that why you've been avoiding us?" Bucky questioned, his eyes glistening. Was he...? Was my low self-esteem actually going to make an ex-assassin, who fought in a war and survived endless brainwashing, cry?

"Uh-huh," I nodded, and oh shit, I could feel tears forming in my eyes as well. Damn them for being so fucking caring. "I thought if I could ignore you both, then I'd save myself the heartbreak later. Figured I was the platonic soulmate for whatever reason, while you two had each other."

Steve wiped at the first tear that fell. "We don't think you're just platonic to us, nor do we want you to be. It's been killing us to know you were intentionally ignoring us."

"I've been such a selfish bitch," I laughed weakly. "I only cared about avoiding my own heartbreak, and didn't even think of what it was doing to either of you. And when I did, I just told myself you wouldn't care. I'm so fucking sorry. Really."

"Hey, it's okay now," Bucky comforted me, stroking his thumb across my cheekbone. "We get it, we do. This is a lot for you. But we'd like to make it work. We wanna be with you, Beth."

And fuck, yes, did I wanna give them a chance. I wanted to make it work so damn bad. Avoiding them for the past two days had bottled up my need for them, a need that I felt deep in my bones and could only be due to the soulbond. It was a strange feeling, and yet, doubts still plagued me.

"I'm not good with relationships." I admitted, frowning. "The guys I've dated never stuck around for too long, and the couple who did regretted it."

Despite telling him I'd been with people, Steve still smiled brightly. "That's because they didn't belong with you. People who will get a soulmate or two don't usually have normal relationships until then. I thought Peggy and I would be marked when the war was over, but fate had different plans. Even in the past few years, when I saw a woman, it never lasted more than a few dates."

"And I never dated a woman more than once in my life." Bucky added, laughing softly. "I loved going out, but none of the dames that caught my attention held it for very long. Not until you."

"That's because we were marked the second we met," I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway.

"And for good reason. We were made for each other, Beth. You, me, and Stevie." Bucky grinned, his eyes crinkling, and I felt my heart skip a beat. "So, what do ya say, ready to give us old-timers a chance?"

"We'll take it slow, if you want." Steve added, smiling shyly at me. "I sure know I'll need to, for my own sake."

I laughed. Of course Steve would wanna take it slow. I grinned at them both, placing my hands on each other cheeks like how they held mine.

"Okay, I'm in. I'm going to try my damn hardest to be the best soulmate anyone could ever have. The two of you don't deserve any less."

* * *

 _A/N: The story Thor told Beth is a really Nordic story called 'Thor the Transvestite'. I changed some of the details to better fit with this story, but it's mostly the same._

 _Winter kiss: Thank you! And I actually have a power in mind for Beth, and I might hint to it, but it won't be revealed until much later in the story._

 _I tried doing more long paragraphs again this time. I think I like them. Lots of bonding and fluff next chapter, so stay tuned!_


	10. Baron von Fucker

_A/N: I'm so damn sorry this wasn't out on time. I mean, a day late isn't horrible or anything, but I still feel bad. I hope the fluffiness in this chapter makes up for the delay :)_

 _Note: In chapter four, when Beth asked Jarvis what the date was, he said it was Monday the 20_ _th_ _of April. This has been changed to Sunday the 19_ _th_ _of April as it better suits this story._

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

Baron von Fucker

* * *

Bucky and Steve stared at me with a strange mix of shock and awe, before wide grins spread over their faces and they simultaneously shifted forward and wrapped me in a giant hug. I pushed them away almost instantly. They drew back, alarmed, but relaxed once they saw me smiling.

"Not that I don't want your hugs," I started, staring down at the arms that still clung to my shoulders and waist. "But you two are still sweaty and gross. Please shower so we can pick up where we left off."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Yes, your highness." He pecked my cheek quickly before standing and heading to his room.

"You better bet I'm the motherfucking queen." I called after him.

"Sure you are," Steve laughed, landing a chaste kiss on my forehead. "I'll be right back to cuddle… then maybe eat. But definitely more cuddling."

Of course he was hungry. "Hurry up then."

Figuring I had at least ten minutes to kill while the two sweaty super soldiers showered, I decided to be a nice soulmate and make them a late lunch. Heading over to the kitchen, I peaked in the fridge and pantry for something to cook. There were plenty of groceries, like usual, but I couldn't actually figure out _what_ I could cook.

In the end, I grabbed out some spaghetti, bacon, parmesan, pepper, and eggs, deciding to make about a kilo of carbonara. Pasta probably wasn't the best food to eat right after working out, but in the few days I'd been here, I'd noticed that Steve and Bucky didn't really pay much attention to what they ate, or when they ate it. In fact, Bucky seemed to have a thing for junk food. At least a few times a day I'd notice him snacking on chocolate bars or a packet of chips. He and Steve would also escape to the balcony sometimes, taking soda with them, or beer if was later in the day.

It suddenly occurred to me that during my ignoring and avoiding of them, I did a whole lot of observing from afar. When I wasn't with Pepper or anyone else, I was sitting at the dining table and playing with my phone, as Steve and Bucky didn't seem to actually use it. That way my avoidance wasn't as obvious while they were in the living room or den.

Yesterday morning, they went for a run a little while after I'd woken up for the day. When they got back, they appeared to be more awake and alert than they did other mornings when they slept in or just got up and made a coffee. Mid-morning they would sit in the den and read or listen to music, both new and old. They tended to work out during the middle of the day, then have lunch and watch a movie that was suggested to them. Yesterday they hated the movie enough to stop it halfway through, and simply decided to go work out again. They came back, had a snack, then escaped to the balcony for a little while.

Did they ever leave the tower? Almost everything they needed was in here, but surely they had to go grocery shopping quite regularly. Well, I would find out soon enough. Instead of dwelling on it, I started singing Ashes to Ashes by Bowie to myself as I continued cooking.

Steve came out first, just as I was serving the pasta onto plates. I was giving the super soldiers a giant serve that would hopefully satisfy them. Surely it would, because there was enough here to feed a family of five.

"That smells so damn good," Steve sighed, sliding onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar. I slid one of the plates towards him.

"Dig in," I said, "because the sooner you finish eating, then the sooner we can get back to cuddling."

"Sounds like a great plan to me," Bucky said from the hallway. He quickly made his way over and took the plate I offered.

He dug in straight away and let out a content sound. "Shit, Beth, this is so good."

Steve hummed in agreement. "What is it? I haven't had this type of pasta before."

"Really? You've never had carbonara before?" I raised my eyebrows, before remembering what I learned about bananas the other day. "Wait a sec, let me google this."

They barely acknowledged me, instead too busy eating. And damn, did they eat fast. I went and grabbed my phone from where I'd left it on the table after I'd had my own lunch, and quickly googled carbonara.

"Huh, turns out Italians only started making it after the war." I explained, skimming the Wikipedia page. "But it's a super simple recipe, so I'm kinda shocked someone hasn't made it for you yet."

Steve just shrugged. "Nobody in the tower really cooks. Well, at least not for all of us. There'd be too much to make, which is why we get takeout for family dinner night."

"Okay, that's something I'm _not_ shocked by." I laughed, grabbing them both a beer from the fridge.

"Needing to constantly eat is one of the downsides of having a metabolism as fast as ours," Bucky said, before pulling a face at his beer. "I miss getting drunk as well."

"Wait, if you need to eat that often, does that mean you're constantly hungry?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Bucky confirmed.

Steve nodded, finishing off his pasta. "But we grew up during the depression, so feeling hungry all the time isn't exactly new for us. We're used to it."

"You _shouldn't_ be used to it." I grumbled, gathering up Steve's plate and then Bucky's when he finished. I rinsed them off and put them in the dishwasher with my plate from lunch, then turned to them both with a bright smile. No more eating meant we can get back to what we were doing before. "So, wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure," Steve said, while Bucky was already getting up and heading to the lounge room with a grin on his face and the beer in his hand.

"I'm choosing!" I called out.

Steve laughed, but didn't head to the living room just yet. "And I'm gonna make us some popcorn."

Holy shit, he'd just eaten the biggest serving of pasta I'd ever witnessed anyone eat, and now he wanted fucking popcorn as well? I shouldn't be surprised. Bucky shot Steve a quick thank you, and I followed him into the living room.

We scrambled onto the lounge with me in the middle, Bucky to my left handling the remote and pulling up the movie menu. "What'll it be then, your highness?"

"Do you have Little Nicky?" I asked, crossing my fingers that they did.

"Probably," Bucky mused. "I think Clint suggested it to us, but we've never watched it."

"Clint has good taste then," I grinned, snuggling into his side. Bucky glanced down at me with a smirk. "Little Nicky is considered one of Adam Sandler's not-so-good films, but everyone I know loves it. I mean, it's fucking hilarious and has a cameo from Tarantino."

"Tarantino, he's the guy that made the Kill Bill movies right?" Bucky asked, taking a swig of his beer.

I nodded against his arm. "Yeah, and Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained and like a billion other violent films."

"I liked that film he made where they fight Nazis," Steve said, joining us on the couch with a large plastic salad bowl full of popcorn.

"Inglorious Basterds?" I questioned, immediately pulling away from Bucky so I could snuggle against Steve and steal some popcorn. "I didn't think you'd enjoy such a violent movie."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, I think there's no such thing as being too violent to Nazis."

"Damn right!" Bucky leaned over me to get some popcorn as well, but instead of pulling back, he snuggled against me instead.

So we started the movie, with me against Steve's side while his arm wrapped around my shoulders, and with Bucky against my other side, head rested on my shoulder while Steve's hand wound through his hair.

My initial thought was somewhere along the lines of _'This is nice…'_ , but it was more than just nice. After avoiding my soulmates for those few days, being with them like this felt nothing short of perfect. It felt like home.

* * *

We weren't too far into the movie - only up to the part where Nicky was asleep in the park - when Jarvis asked for Steve's presence in some meeting room.

"It's probably just an update on the location of the scepter." Steve explained, detangling himself from my embrace.

I had to stop myself from pouting. "Will you be gone long?"

"Not sure," he shrugged.

"Do you want us to pause the movie?"

"No, it's fine," he shook his head, slipping some shoes on. I'd noticed he and Bucky tended to not wear shoes in the apartment, though they did in the rest of the tower. Unless it was morning and they'd just woken up. "Hopefully I won't be too long. And if I am, I can watch the rest of the movie whenever I want."

"If you say so."

"Have fun!" Bucky called as Steve left. When the elevator doors closed, he snuggled back down into my side, his arms snaking around my torso while he buried his face into my neck.

"You're gonna have trouble watching the moving when all you can see is my hair." I pointed out.

"Don't care," Bucky mumbled. "Got no need for a movie when I can just cuddle you."

"What? Don't you like Little Nicky?"

Bucky pulled back and gave me a weird look. "It's not a bad movie, but you're much more worth my time."

"That was so cheesy." I laughed, though inside I was absolutely melting. "How do I trust a single thing you say when I know you were a womanizer back in the day?"

"Did you intentionally rhyme just then?"

"Maybe. Now answer the question."

"Trust me because, with you, I actually mean it." His words were serious, but the cheeky smile on his face said otherwise.

"I'll believe you if you let me braid your hair." I told him, eyeing his long hair. It was slightly longer than it'd been in both The Winter Soldier and Civil War, and I loved it.

Without a word, but with his smirk still in place, Bucky slid off the couch and sat on the ground in front of me, facing the TV. My hands instantly went to his head, and I stroked my fingers through his brunette locks to remove any tangles. But there weren't any, because Bucky's hair was soft and smooth and far too flawless. Honestly, I was feeling a little jealous.

"How the fuck do you keep your hair so soft?" I whined, thinking of my own hair. It was always a mess of blonde waves because brushing it made it puff out. I'd tried so many creams and treatments and whatever, but they made my hair oily, so I usually just threw it up in a ponytail or bun.

Bucky shrugged, humming as my nails scratched lightly at his scalp. "Not sure, but my shampoo is expensive and smells a little spicy, like cinnamon or something. I don't really pay attention to what I buy. As long as it smells good, it's mine."

"Well, if your shampoo and conditioner bottles go missing, it's because I want hair as luscious as yours." I grabbed a section of hair near the side of his face and started braiding it back.

"I like your hair," Bucky told me. "Back in the day, women spent so much time fussing over their hair, and I swear they all had the same style. The fact you don't do that is a refreshing change."

I let out a very unladylike snort at that. "Not for lack of trying, I've just given up."

"It's not like you need to try anyway." Bucky sounded far too casual. "You could be bald and you'd still be gorgeous."

"I doubt that," I laughed, starting on a second braid next to the first.

There was a pause, before, "Should I prove it?"

"Is this your way of asking if you can shave my head?" I asked, tugging on the braid. "Because the answer is no."

"You're no fun."

"Sorry to be such a wet blanket." I finished on the second braid quickly and was just starting on a third when Steve came back. "That was fast."

"Yeah, I've got to suit up." He said, striding quickly through the apartment towards his room. "Tony and Bruce located the scepter in a building like the one you described. Baron von Strucker, a Hydra agent that worked for SHIELD, stole the scepter."

"Took them long enough to find the place!"

Bucky peaked over his shoulder to see me. "Didn't you give them the info only a few days ago?"

"Yeah," I nodded, a grin pulling at my lips. "But I was expecting them to find it faster than they did."

"You have too much faith in us!" Steve called out from his room.

"That's because you guys always win in the movies!" I called back, before continuing to braid Bucky's hair. I stopped once the third braid was finished.

Steve came out a minute later, buckling the belt around his waist, his mask in hand and shield on his back. It was the first time I'd seen him in his Captain America getup, and holy fucking hell it was sexy. My fingers stilled on Bucky's head from where I'd been running my fingers through the hair that wasn't braided, and I'm pretty sure my jaw had actually dropped.

It took me a few moments to compose myself.

"Do your enemies ever get too turned on to fight you?" I said, aiming for casual but the slight crack in my voice gave me away. "Because that outfit makes me wanna take it off you."

Steve, predictably, blushed beet red but somehow managed to smirk at the same time. "I presume you like it, then?"

"It's definitely much better in person, that's for sure."

"I'm glad you're enjoying the view," Steve grinned, making his way towards the lounge. "The team and I have to get going now, and we're not sure what time we'll be back, so you two be good."

"Not promising anything."

Steve smiled fondly and leaned over the back of the lounge to kiss my forehead. Not a moment later, Bucky scrambled up next to me and gave Steve and goofy smile. Steve rolled his eyes kissed Bucky's forehead as well.

"Seriously, be good. I don't want to come home to a trashed apartment again."

Bucky's smile was suddenly far too innocent. "Aye aye, captain."

Steve muttered something under his breath as he left, but it was too low for me to hear. Not too low for Bucky, though, because he laughed softly at whatever it was.

"So why aren't you going as well?" I asked, leaning into his side when he threw his arm over my shoulder. Little Nicky was still playing.

"I'm not an Avenger," Bucky stated simply, rubbing his thumb in circles on my skin. "Besides, I wasn't joking when I told you I was retired. I've done enough missions and fighting to last me a lifetime."

"It kinda _has_ been a lifetime," I said, realising it to myself. Shit, Bucky had spent most of his life shooting and killing people. That's not an ideal existence. I snuggled closer into his side. "Wanna keep watching this or something else?"

"Something else." Bucky paused for a moment. "Got any more serious movies you think I should watch?"

"If you have A.I. Artificial Intelligence on this thing, then we're watching that. It's a Spielberg and it makes me cry every time."

"Why's that?"

"If I tell you, I'll start crying."

Bucky laughed. "Okay, we're definitely watching it."

So we did. And when it got to the end, AKA the part of the movie that made me a sobbing mess without fail every damn time I watched it, I became a sobbing mess. I'd seen it, what, seven or eight times now? And it always got to me. Bucky held me tighter the more I cried, which kinda made me wanna cry even more.

And I was pretty sure I saw Bucky tear up as well.

* * *

 _A/N: We're finally getting into the Age of Ultron storyline! Kind of… I mean, Beth has already changed a lot. Who knows what might happen?_

 _Before you ask: Steve says 'damn' a lot in the movies, while Bucky says 'hell', though in this story they'll swear a bit more. No 'fucks' or whatever from Steve (maybe), but expect Bucky to have a bit of a potty mouth._

 _I wanna warn you that from now on, this story won't be very canon-compliant. The events of Ant-Man will still happen, but none of it will affect Beth and the others until after the events of the movie. Which mean, yes, I will be adding Scott Lang to this story eventually!_

 _Elizabeth: No, definitely not! This fic is too fluffy for me to have her been in an abusive relationship in the past. In chapter one it's explained that all of the guys Beth's dated would run off. She blames this on the fact that she's clingy and weird, when really it was her future soulbond not giving her a chance to form steady relationships. Soulbonds do this to prevent people who have them from getting engaged or married, only to find out their soulmate was someone else._


End file.
